


The Song That Matters

by No_one_2197



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ancient magic, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arya bashing, BAMF Daenerys Targaryen, Bran Stark Bashing, Daenerys Targaryen Is Not a Mad Queen, Darker Jon Snow, Eventual Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Hate D&D, Jonerys Endgame, Magical Blood, Morally Grey Daenerys Targaryen, NOT for Sansa fans, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, R Plus L Equals J, Sansa Stark Bashing, Slow Build, Stark bashing, Targaryen Blood is Magical, Targaryen Boat Baby, Targaryen Restoration, Time Travel, arya will have a personality, break the wheel, daenerys has a baby, daenerys is good queen, dany-centric, for daenerys, jon snow is not a mindless repeater, not Sansa Stark friendly, not stark friendly, with jon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:00:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24722692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/No_one_2197/pseuds/No_one_2197
Summary: Daenerys is brought back to life after S8 and sent back in time to before S7.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth, Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 179
Kudos: 215





	1. The Reawakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quaithe and Kinvara combine the magic of R'hllor and Asshai-by-the-Shadow to bring back Daenerys after the disastrous events of S8, and send her back in time to before she meets Yara.

_She didn’t notice the pain for the first few seconds, lost in the bliss of kissing her love. She was just about to tell him about her. The one thing she thought she would never again have. But then she felt the pain slowly spreading through her heart. "No", she wanted to scream, "Think about our child, Jon". She never got the words out. Without a sound, she slipped onto the floor. The blood silently dripping from her mouth and nose in a string. The last thing she felt before the blackness consumed her was Drogon gently nudging her._

* * *

* * *

The fire was within her. In her heart. Heating every part of her. She opened her eyes to a familiar red lacquer mask. "Quaithe!", she gasped. "My queen, we have been waiting for you", she replied with a bow. Daenerys sat up to see that she was working with someone she didn't know. A red priestess, judging by her attire. She seemed to notice her curiosity. "My queen, I'm Kinvara", she said with a smile and a bow. She had a Volantene accent. Her surroundings were even more strange than these 2 people. A dark room, filled with candles, that seemed to throw strange shadows over the wall. But all this was nothing compared to the turmoil inside her. Jon had killed her! Why? "My baby?", she cried to Quaithe.

"Rest easy Mhysa. Your daughter lives and grows. She is as healthy as can be expected. And now that her mother is back, she will develop naturally"

"How long have I been dead"

"Three days", Quaithe replied.

That she had been dead and was now alive was no shock to her. At least no shock compared to her other feelings. 

Then Kinvara stepped ahead with a strange coin and a knife in hand. For some reason Daenerys trusted her. Until she took that knife to her. She leaned away.

"It is necessary Daenerys. To go forward, you must go back", Kinvara said, soothing her

"Back? Back where?"

"Back to the past. To correct all mistakes. To sing A Song of Ice and Fire. A song that the abomination, who calls himself The Three-Eyed Raven, stopped"

"Why? Why would he do that?"

"You must go now. Telling you everything will take time. Time we do not have at the moment. Do you trust me Mother of Dragons?"

Daenerys nodded hesitantly. Kinvara cut a small cut into both their right palms and then into Quaithe's as well. She took a drop of blood from each and smeared it on the coin. She started to chant in a strange language. A language Daenerys remembered well from a time when she was still naive. The language they spoke in Asshai. The language spoken by Mirri Maz Duur in the ritual that had stolen her son. And just as suddenly the blackness was consuming her again. She started panicking, thinking she had been betrayed again, worried about her daughter. The last thing she heard before she lost to the blackness again was Kinvara telling her to find her in Meereen and give the strange coin to her.

* * *

* * *

_*Back to Meereen before Yara reaches Daenerys_

Thousands of miles from the place where she was betrayed, Daenerys Targaryen opened her violet eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a short one. Just testing waters, as this is my first fanfiction. This is a story line in which Dany finds out about her betrayal and does what she needs to do. So this will contain a lot of Stark hate (except Jon). I plan to release another story line, where Dany knows what she's doing from the beginning of S8. That'll be the redeeming story line for Arya and Bran (I still hate Sansa the most, but maybe I'll redeem her as well, we'll see). How Drogon found Kinvara & Quaithe and where the resurrection takes place will remain obscure in the story line for mystery purposes. I'll give small hints as we move along. Let's see if you can get it right? Also, is it Volantene or Volantenese? I need reviews please. Story, grammar, everything, you can find a fault in. I know the current story line is a bit of a trope (Dany finds out and takes evasive actions). But I hope to make it exciting. Next chapter will drop sometime around next week. It will be longer than this, but can't be sure. Hope you enjoy. Thank you.


	2. A/N 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. So, so sorry.

Yeah. So apparently I'm a big idiot. And I'm new to this. So I accidentally deleted the first chapter. Luckily I had the draft saved. Some people, I know, take offense for little things. So please don't take offense for the complete deletion of your comments. Thanks for understanding.


	3. Decisions and Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daenerys converses with Kinvara and her advisors about future steps and devises plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read the END NOTES. It's important for this chapter.

She woke up gasping. Missandei stirred beside her. Ever since returning and burning the Masters' ships, she had taken to sleeping with her. Only Missandei knew about Dany's mental condition. That no matter how brave and resilient she showed herself to be, inside she was still a young woman. More often than not, she took split-second decisions. But starting tomorrow, that would change. Her future would be her guide. A guide that she would use to avoid that future. She had made a mistake. She had treated the Lords of Westeros with mercy and kindness. No more. They understood the language of hard and strict rule. So be it. She would rule that way now.

Olenna was right, she was wrong to put too much trust in her _trusted_ advisors and leave the administration to them. Varys; who had betrayed her at the first chance he found out about a more legitimate heir. He would get no mercy. Tyrion, Jon, Sansa; they would all die. But above all her worries; what she had done in King's Landing. She could never get over that. Why had she burned down those people? Would she ever forget their screams? Would she ever escape the self-doubt, that she truly was, unfit to rule? No, she wouldn't. The blood of thousands of innocent lives was on her hand. And she would've to live with it. She would've to rule with the knowledge that a time may come when she would face the risk of losing her sanity. And all she could do was remember the screams of the people and the madness and rage that had overtaken her at that moment. And hope, that all these memories, from a life that she wouldn't allow to be repeated, would keep her from doing it all over again.

She began to plot, sleep, now forgotten. Knowing when dawn came, she would have to make difficult decisions. And deal with the consequences, whatsoever they may be.

* * *

* * *

"Your Grace", Kinvara said with a small bow and a smile, when she descended to the throne room. She had sent Varys, early in the morning, to find Kinvara. She had told him that she wanted to thank her for her support while she was gone with Drogon. He had argued about mingling too much with 'these fanatics'. But she had simply ignored him. She sent Varys and the guards away. She could see he looked disgruntled about it. She didn't worry though. He and the others would be dead before long. She turned to Kinvara.

"Kinvara. You said you would tell me everything once I came back. Tell me now", she told the priestess.

"What would I tell you, Your Grace?", she was looking confused. Daenerys didn't know what to tell her. Was it all a dream then? But then she remembered, "Of course. Come with me". She led her to her solar. "Here", she gave Kinvara the coin smeared with blood. She had found it beside her bed in the morning. Kinvara seemed to recognize it. "Your Grace, may I?", she gestured towards one of the lamps. "Daenerys nodded.

Kinvara put the coin in the flames. A strange smell like burning sulfur spread thinly throughout the room. For a long time, she remained silent, staring into the depths of the flame. Long enough for Daenerys to start doubting herself again. She reprimanded herself. True or not, she would believe in herself from now on. Finally, Kinvara looked up. Her eyes were glowing red. And so was the red ruby at her throat. She smiled, "What would you like to know, Your Grace?"

"Shouldn't Quaithe be here as well?", she asked.

"She will join us soon, Your Grace. She has her ways of knowing things. She still has much work to do". She was tempted to ask all her doubts. But now was not the time. She had known that this would be a short conversation when she had called her. She still had some important work to do before she discussed further measures.

"Very well then. Tell me everything about the people who were responsible for my murder. What they did, after the Battle of Winterfell? What they discussed? Where they went? Everything", she settled down in her chair.

Kinvara started speaking. She told him about Varys's betrayal. The conversation between Tyrion and him. She told her about the promise Sansa had broken and how Tyrion and Arya had both convinced Jon to kill her. _Everything_. Yet when she started to speak of the events after her death, Daenerys told her to stop. Those events had no meaning to her. She knew now what she had to do. As Kinvara had spoken, she had modified her earlier plans.

And formulated new ones, based on things she hadn't known before. Tyrion's loyalty to her had been a pleasant surprise. He had only turned against her after she had burned down thousands of innocent people. But she could not turn a blind eye to his many failures since reaching Westeros.

Jon; his betrayal stung her the most. What would she do about him? She wasn't even sure about his feelings for him? Last night, the temptation to burn him had been tremendous. She had trusted him, loved him, and he had buried a dagger into her heart. But as she calmed, she realized that she _had_ killed innocent people. Furthermore, she had justified her actions. Why had she done that? The question kept repeating itself in her mind. Either way, she loved him too much to harm him directly. And she hated him, for being gullible enough to believe that his sister wouldn't work for self-interest. For betraying her and her daughter. And now Kinvara told her that he had been convinced by others, that he had tried to defend her to the last. She still had a lot of questions. But it was time for Kinvara to go now. "Come and meet me in 3 hours", she ordered her. Kinvara bowed and left.

She had had this meeting in her solar, knowing that it would pose a difficulty to Varys to know what she was talking about. But she did not believe for a second, that he would give up trying to know her secrets. He would never stop unless he was killed. Him and some others. She summoned one of the Unsullied and sent for Tyrion. She had to take measures quickly.

* * *

* * *

"You summoned me, Your Grace?". Tyrion was standing in her solar. She needed to secure his loyalty quickly and effectively.

She had sent Varys away. Telling him to find out what the people were saying about their Queen. He had looked suspicious. But she was done listening to him. Out of all her advisors, he was the only one whose advice she would no longer follow. She had realized that Varys's betrayal was less about legitimacy and more about who he could control. For all his talk about serving the realm, all he wanted was a pliant ruler, who would allow him to spread his power further along the world and in Westeros. Robert Baratheon and her father had both been fools. Tywin Lannister had stopped him some time. So he had come to find her. Thinking that a _woman_ would be pliant enough. When that didn't work out, he started looking for other options. And he got one. Jon Snow. The honorable fool. She still hadn't decided what she wanted to do with him, other than the fact, that he would stay away from her and her daughter. At least until such time that he could be shown what his family _really_ was. Maybe then she would allow him to come near her...no, their daughter. But she would never love him.

For now, though, she would deal with the others. "I have something to tell you. Something grave, that I can tell only those whom I trust. No one outside this room must hear an inkling about it", she said, looking at Tyrion meaningfully, he got the message. Varys was not to be told.

Bit by bit, she told him. She left out some parts though. The Sack of King's Landing for one. She also omitted Jon's parentage and her pregnancy. At least for now. She told him, that Varys had changed sides because he believed Jon had more support in Westeros than her. She told him, that she had burned only the Red Keep and Cersei with it. That the expression on her face, while she did, had frightened Tyrion. That, coupled with the fact that Cersei was his sister, albeit a hateful one, was the reason he and Jon had betrayed her.

Her experience had taught her that people responded to their hearts more often than their heads. She would influence their hearts then. If they couldn't _realize_ for themselves that she was a good ruler, then she would make them _feel_ that she was a good ruler. She would also make sure that the people who were loyal to her would feel what she wanted them to feel. Tyrion would feel guilt. Guilt that he had failed her multiple times. And that guilt would propel him to become even more loyal to her than he already was. She felt a moment of hesitation about doing such a thing. Was she a good ruler though? Why then, had she burned those innocent people? Why had she lost the control she carried with herself? Those answers she would never get. But doing such a thing, directing their hearts was wrong. So is treason against your Queen, said a small voice at the back of her head.

She hardened her heart. The same heart that had driven her to give people more chances than they deserved. She was ready to play the Game. No longer would she only fight and free people. No, she would take steps now. She understood, that she could never break the wheel unless she became a part of the wheel. Try to break a system from without, and everyone would oppose her. Do it from within, and people would accept it as a part of their _beloved_ system.

He was looking confused. She wasn't surprised. It was hard to swallow. What would he do now? What will be his next step? And even more important, what will be her step after that? Will the conversation run the way she wanted it to. "Your Grace, would Varys really betray you? He has proved valuable. He secured the support of Highgarden and Dorne", said Tyrion slowly.

"Yes, he did. But afterward, he did nothing more. Only betray another Targaryen for another usurper. Jon Snow has no right to the throne", replied Daenerys. But she still saw some trepidation in his eyes. That flared her temper, "Do you not trust me? Is it not enough that you failed me repeatedly, and yet I kept you as my Hand"

"I do, Your Grace. It's just that I don't trust sorcery", he replied. Seeing fire in her eyes though, he continued, "But, I've not forgotten that the very person I believe in, and her dragons are a product of sorcery. I'm ready to give it a chance, Your Grace. If what you say is true, then the Greyjoys will come tomorrow. If that and their demands prove correct, Your Grace, I'll have no reason to doubt your story".

He still didn't believe in her story, she could see that. Though Daenerys was annoyed about it, this provided a perfect chance for her to implement an important decision she had wanted to carry out. "Very well then. But I have a condition", Tyrion looked at her inquiringly, "If I'm correct, I will not designate the post of the Hand to you", she finished. Tyrion looked shocked for a moment before quickly regaining himself, "If what you say is correct, then I don't deserve to be your Hand". She could see that he meant it. His failure had upset him more than he let on. She felt another moment of hesitation before she steeled herself. _If I look back I'm lost_.

For now, though, she had to meet Kinvara.

* * *

* * *

"Tell me about my daughter. How could I've conceived her? I thought the witch had cursed me", she had wasted no time in prelude. Quaithe was still not there. But she didn't worry about that. 

"She did. And the curse did work. But you have magic in your veins. Albeit lesser in magnitude than expected. But only because you're the first Valyrian in a hundred years who has magic in their blood, as the first Valyrians did. Well, you and Jon Snow. His magic only became active after his resurrection. The witch was able to contain your blood with a curse. Something that would never have been possible with any curse in the world, had magic run undiluted in your veins. But to contain the union of 2 people, who have Valyrian magic running through them, was too much for that curse", she said, "And that blood that runs in your daughter's veins, is what threatens the Three-Eyed Raven. Which is why he made things run this way. To have you killed. To have your daughter killed"

"I don't understand. Even though she may have the purest Valyrian blood. What could that possibly do to him, that I couldn't?", she spits out. She was angry at him. They could try to kill her. She had no qualms about it. It was the hazard of being a monarch. But endangering her daughter. That was something she would not stand for.

"What did they call your eldest brother your grace? What did Viserys call himself? And what do you call yourself now?". Kinvara said with a small smile.

"The last dragon. But...", Danerys was still confused. "I don't understand", she finally admitted. Kinvara decided it was better to start from the beginning.

"Do you know what Bran Stark is?"

"A warg"

"Yes. And a warg of tremendous abilities, hence the name he earned. He is the only warg who can truly control your dragons. Not without immense effort. Dragons _are_ after all willful creatures, especially one that has bonded with a rider".

This second revelation about Bran wanting her dragons truly shocked her. Was that why he had wanted her dead? To control Drogon easily. But he was extraordinary. Kinvara had said that. He could've still done that with her alive. Forced Drogon to kill her. And it still didn't explain why he viewed her daughter as a threat.

"The Valyrian dragonlords also called themselves dragons. Your brothers were called the 'Last Dragons'. It was not without reason. The Valyrians were more than dragon riders. They had a unique ability. And ability lost among the Targaryens because they were never powerful enough among the dragon riders at Valyria's height of power", Kinvara continued.

Daenerys had heard the last part before. The part about the Targaryens not being powerful enough. But she was hearing about a unique ability for the first time.

"But you changed that. The dragonlords made true bonds with their dragons. A bond unto death. If even one of them died, the other followed them to the grave, giving way for another dragonlord to rise. This bond could never be broken by even the most powerful magic. The dragon and the rider are, for all intents and purposes, one. But that power doesn't stop there. A dragonlord's dragon can order unbonded dragons. Bonded dragons on the other hand still listen only to their riders. This power helped them coordinate attacks during wars, as ofttimes many dragons were riderless. You can see now why Bran would perceive your daughter as a threat. With her at the helm of an army. A dragon army, she could do more, much more, than what Aegon did".

Daenerys reeled from these revelations. She looked at her abdomen. She dreaded that her daughter would one day rule an army of dragons. What mother wouldn't dread danger to her child? But she felt pride as well. What mother wouldn't feel pride, to know that her child would lead an army? What could she do? Could she stop her from taking this responsibility? _Would_ she stop her from taking this responsibility? The responsibility of being the first true dragonlord in centuries?

So that is where the Targaryen tradition of riding only one dragon for the rest of their lives came from, she thought. She understood that it wasn't a requirement. Just a tradition they had never understood and yet followed. She had too many questions. Too many questions with answers only she could give herself. She wanted a break. A small break to absorb all this information. But Kinvara kept speaking.

"You and Jon Snow are both, 2 parts of a whole. Azor Ahai. But Azor Ahai isn't just about ending the darkness it is also about bringing back the light. Your daughter will play a role in that. _Her_ destiny will not end at the Seven Kingdoms. Her destiny goes farther. Much farther. The Lands of Always Winter have been awake for a long time. And along with the lands, the Great Other has also been awake for almost as long. They have thrown the world into imbalance. Do you know what must be done, to bring back the delicate balance of this world?"

"Kill the White Walkers?"

"Yes. But that alone will not help. One more thing must also be done"

"What", she asked in a whisper

"You _know_ Mother of Dragons", said a familiar voice behind her. She turned to find Quaithe. She continued, "You felt it when you stepped into your husband's pyre. You felt it when each of your eggs hatched. And you've felt it every time you call upon your magic".

She did. She knew the answer. And it chilled her to her bones as she heard Quaithe speak the dreaded sentence. It frightened her not just for her daughter, but for the world and what it meant for her own future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. I just love cliffhangers. It gives me peace to know others are in more anxiety than me. That is of course, if I wasn't too obvious with the clues. Anyway, I've taken some liberties of writing a fanfic. For one, I've tampered with the timeline a bit. Yara doesn't arrive immediately or the day after the Battle of Meereen. She arrives after a few days, possibly a week and a half. Enough time for Daenerys to face her actions, have some dilemma, and plan and discuss things. Quaithe will play important parts as we go ahead. Well, as important as needs be. I don't know why people forget her in a lot of fanfics. Agreed she plays little to no role in the show, but come on. She is one of the best-kept mysteries in ASoIaF. Now I've got an important work for you all if that's not too much to ask. Bran and Sansa will be bashed and portrayed as villains. There are no doubts about that. But I'm a bit confused about Arya. Despite my initial idea to bash all the Starks (including Jon) and portray them as villains (excluding Jon), Arya is one of my most favorite characters. And someone I respect very much. Also, while I've planned endings for the other 2 siblings, I've no proper end in sight for her if I portray her as a villain. As of yet. Please state in the comments whether I should redeem her or not. I'll count all the votes till the upcoming Sunday, 2359 hours. The reason I'm doing this is because the next chapter kind of solidifies them as villains.
> 
> On another note, I know this fanfic is a bit slow. And a bit devoid of action. I apologize for that. The action will come in time. I didn't put 'Major Character Death' as a warning for nothing. There will be explosive actions. But lesser in frequency than some other fanfics.
> 
> I don't think I made it clear in the chapter. But Dany is with child. The child has not been affected. She is healthy and fine. I thought I had stated that in the first chapter? Sorry if it wasn't clear.
> 
> And of course, I need reviews about what I can improve. My storyline, grammar, whatever you find a fault in. If you find a loophole, let me know. Thanks for reading.


	4. A/N 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read the A/N. Most people skip them. I am one of them. Don't skip it. It contains answers to the most common doubts.

This is an A/N regarding some repetitive doubts. And I can't answer all of them with the same answer.

No, Daenerys is not going to pass off the baby as Daario's. Daario plays little to no role in the fanfic. He'll play the same role he played in the show at this point, virtually none. Now some might think that it will provide a political hindrance and will make people talk stuff about her. But they're forgetting that other than the last 2 seasons, she has never actually cared what people thought about her. She just wanted them to respect her. She had no use going after Sansa and the North like that. She granted the Iron Islands their freedom. Why not the North? Both the places are nearly as barren. The reason was that Sansa hadn't asked her for freedom. She had straight-up demanded it. And you don't demand things from a Queen. That's disrespectful. As for Cersei ruining her reputation, she won't get much of a chance. Daenerys will come straight for her. And even if she does, people won't listen to her. Why? That will be answered in a few chapters.

Now about her being power-hungry. I'm sorry what? She has gone back before S7 and 8. She was power-hungry in those 2 seasons due to bad writing. But before that, she is much like Stannis. She thinks it's her duty to rule not because she wants power (she also has a plus point:- she doesn't burn innocents and certainly not her daughter). Furthermore, she wants to take care of the common folk. Wasn't that the whole point of breaking the wheel? To stop the people from being crushed by it. She thinks no one else will do it. And she's right. Not one king/queen/lord we have seen cares about them. Not even Jon. Most of them laughed at the idea of people choosing their leaders. Daenerys on the other hand had already implemented that in Meereen. Only Davos agreed. That is what he and Dany have in common. They have both lived on the streets and had the experience of being one of the common folk. Jon for all his virtues was still raised with more comfort than most bastards in a castle. Agreed, Dany had some support because of being a Targ, but that's compensated by the life threats from Robert. So no, she's not power-hungry. Only worried that she might be the only salvation for the poor people.

As for her regret, I'm gonna cover that after a couple of chapters. Think about it. When you are in a war, you don't think about who you have killed in the middle of the battle. Only afterward, the regret comes crashing down. She is in the middle of something similar. She has to make sure of people's loyalty. She can't afford to rest at the moment. Even then she's thinking about it. Think about what would happen when she is left alone with no more planning to do. In a couple of chapters, when she has less planning to do. Then comes the mental breakdown.

I'm going by the show version of people. There will be very few instances where the book is referred to.

Now regarding Jon. Jon's character was butchered badly. He is not a pushover. He let wildlings through the wall against his own Night's Watch brothers. Sure he may be a bit more cautious after his death. But not like he was shown. In this version, he is gonna rule properly. He will still be gullible to his family. Because let's face it, he is way too trusting. Sure he stopped trusting his advisors after that but he still trusts too much in his family. Like I wrote in the last chapter though, Daenerys is gonna manipulate people emotionally now. That means making Jon into something better and more clever. Someone who isn't so foolhardy. I mean, does he think Ned kept that secret from his family for what, 16/17 years for nothing?

I hope I was able to assuage your doubts.  ** Word of caution. Do not use fancy words like assuage in front of Euron. He will mock you and say you have had your d**k chopped off. **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit long A/N I realize. But it was necessary. Any more doubts? Just ask. Thanks guys.


	5. Not Your Fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daenerys discusses with Quaithe and Kinvara about her daughter's destiny and its ramifications on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multiple POVs start from this chapter.

She was still pacing the balcony half an hour later. Quaithe and Kinvara were sitting patiently in the solar. Daenerys went inside. "But how...how is it possible?", she asked desperately.

"One might as well ask, how your dragons came into this world. They happen for some reason or the other. Priests will tell you they happen because their God wills it. Others will heap the blame on someone they fear or despise, like the sorcerers of Asshai. The truth is, no one knows how such things happen, Daenerys", Quaithe replied.  


  
She resumed her pacing, all the while wringing her hands.

* * *

* * *

Daenerys Targaryen. An extraordinary woman. The first person he had ever truly trusted since Jaime. And the only person he had believed in. Until now. Now he wasn't so sure. Though her promise that she would remove him from a post he didn't yet have, had rankled him, he still didn't believe in her story. If he had he wouldn't have agreed to her terms. _Is she going mad? Is that to be my fate? To serve under one mad ruler after another._ Her family had a history of madness and unstable members. Perhaps the coin that the Gods tossed for the Targaryens, hadn't landed yet. How else would she come to this delusion of knowing what happened in the future?

And yet...and yet...what she had said had an eerie sense of truth to it. This wasn't the first time someone had questioned Varys's loyalty. He himself didn't trust him. He knew that if a time came when he would be of more value to him as a dead man, Varys wouldn't think twice before having him killed. But to blame a person for something they hadn't yet done? He remembered Jon as she had described. But he would've changed surely in these few years? But the part that had truly stunned him, was where she told him that he had failed her as a Hand. And he had a sinking suspicion about why he would do that if such a thing ever happened. No matter how loyally he served his Queen and wanted Cersei dead, at the end of the day, she was still his sister. All his decisions would have subconsciously been directed to save her and his House. To save Jaime who loved Cersei. No one wanted their family dead. No matter what they did. Or did they? He didn't regret his father's murder. But sometimes when he fell asleep, he could still smell his death and feel his accusing eyes on him as he died with a bolt in his gut. _Wherever_ _whores go._ He wanted to hate him. For being so cruel and unforgiving. For hating him for something he had no control over. _Does he think I want to be a dwarf? That I like to be scorned wherever I go?_ He _did_ hate his father. And yet he feared that he had loved him once and was slowly turning into a soulless monster just like the common folk said.

He shook himself from his thoughts. Whenever he felt some semblance of love for his father and sister, he knew he was not drunk enough. He hurried to the canter of wine. Stories, he told himself. That's all Daenerys was telling us. Perhaps to warn us what would happen if we ever betrayed her? Perhaps to justify killing Varys as she surely will? But while he finished his first cup of many to come for the evening, he felt a voice in his head. A voice that hissed at him, what if it's true?

* * *

* * *

_Valyria is rising again._ She was standing over the map, still reeling from the truth that had gotten too much to handle too soon. _It looks like a dragon claw,_ she thought, looking at it on the map. A dragon claw with 3 fingers separated from the rest of the hand by the Smoking Sea. Is it simply a coincidence? "Even if what you say is right, how is my daughter connected to it all?", she said after some time.

"Valyria cannot completely rise on its own. The final role will be played by your dragons. Dragons are true magic, more than nearly anything else in this world. Furthermore, only your daughter has the magic that is needed to raise Valyria", Quaithe said. "And you must not leave it be. The world has been in imbalance to long. It is already falling apart", said Quaithe.

"How will they raise Valyria?"

"That is an answer better left for later"

Daenerys frowned as she couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding that it would not be to her liking. But more than that, she was conflicted about Valyria rising. It was the place where everything magical about her had been born. It was the home of her ancestors. They had formed the strongest empire in the known world. They had held more power than anyone.

And they had made slaves. They had made slaves by the thousands. Enough to form 9 new cities out of these slaves. They had killed hundreds of them by sending them deep into the earth to mine for metals. Not caring whether they lived or died in the most gruesome ways.

And they had burned. They had burned countrysides and castles, people and animals. They had burned them all alike.

And they were mad. Madness ran through their veins as much as magic did. It was all a question of who could control the rage and insanity. Of who  _ would _ control it. She had felt it herself. And even though she felt ashamed, she had felt true power at that moment. To burn with impunity. to let go of all her rage. She had felt the power humming through Drogon into her. To unleash all his energy without any control. That was her main concern. What did the rise of Valyria bode for her? An empire notorious for its power-hungry founders and the madness that ran through them. Did it mean that she would become even more deranged than she had become in the future she wanted to avoid? Was the rise responsible for her rage and insanity? Or was it all simply her fault? Her twisted mind that had gotten out of control? Her twisted genes? It seemed for every answer she got from others, they bred more questions that only she could answer.  _ What will I do _ , she thought in a moment of panic before calming herself.  _ You're a dragon _ , she reprimanded herself. She would face these problems head-on. 

She mulled over what Quaithe had told her until now. Valyria had been the doorway for magic into this world. Ever since the Doom that doorway had closed, magic had only become weaker. And the remaining Valyrians had slowly lost all their power. The Citadel had lied. The stunted growth of the dragons had less to do with growing in an enclosed space and more to do with the end of the access of magic in the world.

That was until Valyria started to resurface 3 years ago. Already the Smoking Sea had grown a bit smaller. Magic had returned in the world. And in her and Jon's blood in a small amount. But their daughter would have pure magic in her blood. To control an army of dragons. An army? Where did they think she would get more dragon eggs? Quaithe had herself accepted that the sorcerers of Asshai had nothing to do with the creation of dragons.

"I have only 3 dragons. What can only 3 dragons do to raise Valyria?", Daenerys scoffed. Quaithe and Kinvara looked at each other. "What?", she asked suspiciously.

"There is something we must tell you, Your Grace", said Kinvara, "Viserion and Rhaegal laid 4 eggs in the catacombs during their captivity". Daenerys gasped, "One of them is a female!"

"Dragons can change their gender at will, Your Grace", said Quaithe. As surprised as she was at this revelation, it was nothing compared to her surprise at the fact that she had four new dragons! That was something Daenerys had never expected.

"Take me to them", she ordered Quaithe.

"Now is not a good time, Your Grace. I've put them in a cocoon of magic to hasten their growth. While  _ I  _ can go near them, you will not survive. With your permission, I'll start the same process on Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal. They won't be in a cocoon of course". Daenerys was annoyed for a moment that Quaithe had decided to take an important step without her permission. But she calmed down. She owed Quaithe her life. And it wasn't as if she wanted to hurt her. She had the chance all morning and afternoon if she wanted to. Either way, if what she said was true, about Valyria allowing magic into the world, Quaithe needed her to increase her power.

"Very well then. Do it"

"I will require a few more drops of your blood though". Of course, it would be blood magic, thought Daenerys. She had hated it since the witch had killed her son, even though it had been blood magic that had given her this second chance at life. But...

" _ More? _ What do you mean more? Where did you get my blood in the first place?", Daenerys asked. In answer Quaithe simply pulled out the strange coin, she had used to come back, form her robes.

"Oh". She had all but forgotten about it. She hadn't seen it since...since Kinvara had put it in the flames in the morning. Was that what Quaithe had been doing before she came to see her? Quaithe approached her with a small dagger. She pricked her finger and collected the blood in a vial.

Quaithe continued, "Your main burden will be to kill the army of the Great Other along with Jon Snow. You will also have to birth the dragons the same way you did for the first three. But one of them will not hatch. That one belongs to your daughter. Only she has the sufficient amount of magic to hatch that egg. Moreover, I can forge Valyrian Steel again to further help in the Great War".

Daenerys looked at her with astounded eyes, "I thought the spells to produce it had been lost"

"No, Your Grace. The spells weren't lost, only the magic". Another lie by the Citadel. What was the reason for so many lies? Was it their fear of magic? Agreed it didn't always make sense and could be catastrophic if used wrongly. But, if harnessed properly, it could also be used for a lot of good. Or could it? Didn't she herself fear the return of Valyria and my extension magic? Of what it could mean for her mental state? She was getting tired of the constant self-doubt. But what choice did she have? She had seen and lived the consequences of being out of control. At least the self-doubt kept her in check. Reading into her worries, Quaithe said, "Rest easy, Your Grace. Valyria will not rise for another decade or two. Maybe even more time. I'll leave you now. Kinvara will answer the rest of your doubts". She nodded. Quaithe bowed and left.

Daenerys was truly tired from the mental exertions. But she still had one burning question, "What if she turns out like me? My daughter I mean? What if she loses her temper and burns down everyone". The fear had been nagging at the back of her brain all day. She could still hear the screams. The smell of burning flesh. The ash falling like snow. And most of all she remembered the rage that had overtaken her mind at the moment before she wreaked havoc over them all. The rage and the pain and the  _ madness.  _ She had been told multiple times about her father's madness. That the Targaryens had suffered from this stint of madness for hundreds of years. This stint, that was the result of centuries of wedding family members to each other. And then she had had her daughter with Jon, who was her nephew. Could it result in her daughter being even more unbalanced than she herself was?

"Your Grace...", Kinvara hesitated before continuing, "Some extremely powerful wargs can control the minds of people. Bran Stark can also do that. But as I said before, you have diluted magic in your veins. And that magic protects you, but to a lesser extent. He was not able to control you, but he  _ was _ able to augment your rage and turn it into something twisted and dangerous. The Sack of King's Landing was not your fault". Daenerys was aghast. She stumbled into her chair, reeling from all these secrets. What else had he done? This monster whom she only took for a traumatized young boy. Why would he do all this? To eliminate me as a threat? To take control of the dragons? To be the ruler of Westeros, a voice said in her head. Who  _ had _ become the king of Westeros after she died? She didn't know and hadn't thought to ask? She had thought everything that happened after her death inconsequential. In the face of other important things. "Kinvara? Who became the king of Westeros after I died?", she asked shakily.

"Bran Stark became the king of six kingdoms. And Sansa Stark became Queen in the North", she replied quietly. For once she was not smiling. Then Daenerys saw red. She tasted blood in her mouth and realized she had bit her tongue to keep herself from screaming. But when she spoke, it was in stark contrast to the flaring anger within her, her voice was calm and quiet and dangerous, "He will die. Right now. I will not allow him to draw breath a moment longer". She moved to get up, but Kinvara stopped her. "No, Your Grace. That is why I had hoped you wouldn't ask this question. I knew you'd infuriated. He must live. For you to fulfill your destiny. He must live, Your Grace", she tried to calm her but Daenerys was beyond words now.

He had allowed thousands of innocent people to die just to ascend the throne. He had given Jon enough reason to kill her so her daughter would never live to threaten his rule. He had tried to take her dragons to do what? Oppress people? "What happened in the three days I died?", she asked her. Kinvara understood what she meant. "Bran Stark implemented harsh rules throughout the kingdom on the very next day he became king. The next day he executed nearly 800 people who had spoken against him and his rule. Many of them were scattered throughout the six kingdoms and belonged to all classes of life. He had used his powers as a warg to keep an eye on them. On the third day, he executed around 300 more people. Sansa implemented harsher rules in the North while Bran helped her keep her power. After that, we sent you back. But I have had small visions of what would've happened if we had not done that"

"What?"

"He was everywhere due to his power. He soon took control of Drogon and oppressed every whisper of rebellion. Any person speaking against him was executed. Any person suspected of having treasonous thoughts died within days due to mysterious circumstances. After a few months of ruling, he gave away Westeros to Sansa and helped her keep the people in check. Arya came back to Westeros after her expedition to the west failed. Seeing the state of the country, she was shocked. Everyone lived in fear of 'The Ice Queen and The Bloodraven Reborn'. She tried to kill Sansa. But Bran saw her coming and warned Sansa. They executed her"

Sansa; the woman she had respected initially because she had suffered as much as her. But she was nothing more than a power-hungry snake who wanted to be Queen. What else could she expect from someone who had learned at the feet of Cersei and Baelish? She had broken a sacred oath. She had turned her advisors against her.  _ She had killed her own sister.  _ Just so she could be a Queen. And Jon. What part had he played in all this?

"Where was Jon during all this?"

"Jon Snow had been banished to the Wall by Bran Stark to appease the Unsullied. But he became a deserter and went north of the Wall. He wasn't heard from again", Kinvara finished with a meaningful look.

Daenerys understood. As long as a male heir of the Stark family lived, he would pose a threat to Sansa's right. And Bran had supported her in this. How else would she have gotten to him Beyond the Wall? Despite her resolve that she would not love him anymore, his death fell like a blow to her. Even when it hadn't happened yet.  _ Shocked. That's it. I don't love him. I'm only shocked that someone would kill their family member.  _ But hadn't she done that as well? She hadn't lifted a finger when Viserys was killed. But that was different. Viserys had been cruel to her. He had tried to kill her child. And he had threatened her on more than one occasion. Is it different though? Or is it simply a sign that I'm as power-hungry as Sansa?

"But why, why would Bran do this? Why take a crown only to give it away to his sister clean of all rebels and threats. Almost like a gift"

"Every time a Three-Eyed Raven dies, some of his essence goes into the successor. That essence is an emotion which drove the previous Raven in life. Most of the time, the successor is strong enough to resist the wants and needs of the predecessor. But Bran Stark was weak when he was made into the new Raven. He was heavily influenced by his precursor; Brynden Rivers". Daenerys vaguely remembered some story, that Viserys had told her, about him. He was a supporter of the Targaryens during the Blackfyre rebellion. He had turned the tide by killing the leader of the Blackfyres.

Kinvara continued, "In this case the emotion that drove him was revenge. Revenge against the Targaryens. He had served them faithfully nearly all his life. But then they exiled him to the Wall for a dishonorable deed he had committed to keep the Targaryens on the throne. He never wanted the throne. But he never forgave them for it. He vowed to keep the Targaryens from the throne. He had glimpses of the future. Of your return. He influenced Bran to take measures to keep you from the throne. And to extinguish the Targaryen line once and for all."

She still saw anger in her eyes though, "Please, Your Grace. They must live. For you and your daughter, they must live". Daenerys calmed marginally at the mention of her daughter. She wasn't going to kill Sansa either way. Death would be mercy for her. No, she would suffer. All her enemies would. Daenerys would make sure of that. And there was only one way to do that. She would take from them what each of them wanted dearly. What they craved for. And for that...

She turned to Kinvara, "Tell me about the people who are responsible for my death. And tell me what each of them did after I left for Westeros. Every detail". Kinvara heaved a sigh of relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just clearing up some stuff I know you'll probably ask:-
> 
> The reason why Jon and Daenerys have diluted magic is because Valyria started to rise after they were born. But Valyria has begun to rise nearly 3 years before (around the same time as dragons' birth) the Targ baby. So she has magic in her blood ever since she has been conceived. I know it's a bit of a stretch. Well, okay quite a bit of stretch. But hey, it's fanfiction. You can't blame me for fulfilling some of my fantasies.
> 
> Anyway done with the clearing. Now Valyria rising is a bit too much sci-fi-ish. But I've got a reason for that. One hint of that reason was given in the last chapter (last few paragraphs). Very few of you will be able to find the reason (or at least I hope I wasn't too transparent with the clues). Because the reason is related to a GRRM interview that took place (so it's for hardcore fans). I'll give you another hint:- The name of the places about which we are talking. Yeah, that's it. That's the hint. So, go ahead I guess. Take a guess. Or not
> 
> On a lesser related note, GRRM's recent NotaBlog post (23 June) stated that he is making progress on TWoW (yeah, right), but he also stated 'I can always visit Wellington next year, when I hope that both Covid-19 and THE WINDS OF WINTER will be done.'  
> So, yeah. Someone should start looking into buying that place by White Island.
> 
> Arya will be redeemed. That's my decision. Part of it is based on the fact that many of you didn't leave proper votes. You said you all hate Arya only in the last 1 or 2 season(s) and that she was brilliant in the previous ones. People, I know. That's the reason I asked you in the first place. So I was quite confused about which way your vote leans towards. I know you could be conflicted like me, so I sympathize. But you only aggravated my dilemma. Only a few of you left proper votes. The other part is that I'm still unsure of how it ends for Arya if I portray her as a villain (and I love her character. A classic rebel. Yay!).
> 
> As for Brynden Rivers being responsible for Bran's actions, he is only half responsible. Remember Bran gives Westeros to his sister (fanfic), someone Brynden has no real connection to. I'm gonna get some flak for deflecting Dany's killing spree to Bran's fault. People will say I'm defending her murderous actions cause I'm a Dany stan. But let me tell you, Dany is still not gonna escape the guilt no matter whose fault. Add to that the fact that no one goes mad in a split second. Or even in a few days. It takes at least months if not years. So I tried to give it a more reasonable approach. But you can only repair D&D's damage so much.
> 
> One last thing. Jon was shown to be stabbed 6 times during the mutiny. But 2 episodes later, we saw his body having 7 cuts and 1 arrow shot (from Ygritte). So was he stabbed 6 times or 7 times?
> 
> As always, I need reviews (grammar, story, plot holes... you know the drill). You guys spotted a lot of plot holes in my last chapter even though many were just blanks I had deliberately left. But still, I'm grateful to you for spotting the actual ones. Helps me a lot to improve my story. Thank you for reading.


	6. No Relief in Waking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daenerys faces her actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title by Suzanne Collins.

She had wanted to continue with her plans. But Kinvara had convinced her to sleep by telling her that she needed rest for her as well as her daughter's health. She had gone into her chamber, but after tossing and turning for nearly an hour, she had found that she couldn't sleep. Careful not to wake Missandei, she had gotten up and gone for a hot bath. When she returned, she found that sleep came easier. And it turned out to be the biggest mistake of her life.

*******

She was sitting on Drogon perched atop the wall, contemplating whether to assist her soldiers or not. _Jon_ was with them. He had spurned her ever since he had found out about his true heritage. But she still loved him. She would never stop loving him no matter who he was to her. She tensed as she saw the 2 sides approach each other. What will they do now? A small part of her wanted them to keep fighting. She would show them what it was to fight against a dragon. But the other, saner part wanted them to lay down their arms. To give up. She didn't want innocent people to burn because of them.

Then she saw it. The enemy dropping their spears and swords. They seemed to have realized that it was futile to struggle. They had no chance against her dragon. Not with the scorpions destroyed. But the bells hadn't yet rung. This could all be a trick. To make her army complacent so they could strike again. "Ring the bells," the people began crying. The shout was echoed all over the city as the people took up the call. She waited with bated breath as she looked over at the bell tower. After what seemed like an eternity, she heard the bell ring. Resounding throughout the city as it signaled their surrender.

It was over. She had won. But it didn't feel like a victory. She tasted something bitter in her mouth. It was a hollow victory. Cersei had won. She had shown everyone that mercy was her weakness. She looked at the Red Keep with anger. Anger that had suddenly reared its head inside her. She looked at the city. At the people. She felt something snap inside her. She felt uncontrollable rage. Rage at Cersei who must surely be smiling smugly, nested in one of the towers. At the people who were just a mass of mindless puppets. At Jon for spurning her when she needed him the most. At her advisors for betraying her. At Euron for killing her child. At Sansa, at the unfairness of this word. At everything. These people were not innocents. They had cheered when Joffrey had Ned Stark beheaded. The same people who had spat at a vulnerable Cersei, Yara, Ellaria, and young Tyene. The same people who had accepted the Usurper who had killed her brother. The brother whose songs they had listened to. Had paid him coin, they had so enjoyed it. The same people who had turned against Joffrey and Cersei. And the same people who were now begging for Cersei's mercy to be let in the city walls. To be saved from the one who had come to liberate them. They were snakes. The whole lot of them. Snakes who wanted a spectacle. Who wanted blood. It didn't matter whose blood. Until the tide turned against them. Now they begged for mercy like sniveling mice. But no one would keep her from her throne. Unbidden the images and the voices came crashing down on her,

_"Cersei still sits on the throne. If you can't help me take it back, I'll find another Hand who can."_

_A seven-foot-long scorpion impaled him on the chest and then through his neck as she stretched her hand out to help him. Crying for help and bleeding, she could do nothing as the sea swallowed Rhaegal._

_"Alright then. Let it be fear."_

_Ser Jorah fell to the ground after the onslaught of wights. She picked him up and placed him on her lap as she caressed his head, her tears dripped onto his face as he died._

_"What about the North? It was taken from us, and we took it back and we said, we'd never bow to anyone else, again. What about the North?"_

_Jon pushed her away when she tried to kiss him._

_"You are my Queen."_

_Missandei's head dropped to the ground._

_"The next time you fail me will be the last time you fail me."_

_Drogo fell off his horse._

_"Someone betrayed me."_

_Drogo stared into the sky with his eyes wide open and yet saw nothing._

_"I've never begged for anything... but I'm begging you. Don't do this. Please."_

_Her Silver fell as they traveled through the Red Waste._

_"What do dragons eat anyway?"_

_Viserion screeched in agony as the spear smashed into his neck._

_"What kind of person climbs on a fucking dragon, a madman or a king?"_

_Ser Jorah told her that her son was dead._

The bells were still ringing and the people were shouting. Yet it was nothing compared to the cacophony in her head. Everything was a mess in her head and yet she could hear all the voices clearly, see everything that went wrong. See how they didn't deserve a benevolent queen like her. And above them all, she heard a man screaming, _BURN THEM ALL._

She rose on Drogon. And rained fire on the city. On everyone. No one would be shown mercy. She burned houses and people alike. She heard the people screaming. She smelled the burning flesh and mortar. And most of all she felt Drogon heating up under her. She felt his ecstasy at finally letting loose. And she shared his feeling of power. She looked down and saw people burning. She saw blackened bones and charred flesh. She saw a mother hugging her son as the fire consumed them. She saw a man limping across the street, trying to get behind a wall. She saw people tripping over their haste to get out of the way of the destruction. She saw a woman with her legs burned off, trying to drag herself to the side to escape the swarm of people. She saw children flailing under the onslaught of people trying to flee the flames. Their bones broken, bodies smashed in. She saw dust and ash coat the people. Then she saw an explosion and a bright green fire. _Wildfire._ She saw as it consumed and turned people into fine ash. As it cooked the soldiers in their metal armor. As it left a child staggering and howling as she tried to put out the flames on her side. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she felt trepidation and panic. But she pushed those feelings down. They would all burn. They had forced her to do this. And she hated them for it. She had come to save them from a tyrant. But they clung to their old ways. They had looked at her in horror. They deserved this. They wanted to live under tyranny. So be it. They would die under it as well. The new world would be built by her and the people she deemed worthy. She turned her attention to the Red Keep. She destroyed each of its towers. One by one. Cersei would not burn. She would be crushed and smothered. It began to snow. _Nothing will stop me,_ she thought. _Not snow, not rain. Nothing._ She kept burning. Until finally there was nothing left to burn. She landed at the Great Hall. And saw it for the first time.

The first thing she felt was disappointment. Was that it? A throne made of the thousand swords of Aegon's fallen foes. Was it supposed to be this small? The next thing she felt was elation. She had won the throne, her birthright. After so many trials, after so much effort and time. She had lost so much along the way. She remembered Missandei, Ser Jorah. She remembered Rhaego. The son who had died before he had been born. Never again. Her child with Jon would live in a peaceful world. She remembered Drogo. The one who had shown her that she was a queen. She had gotten what she wanted. And then she felt terror, as the dream changed.

She was standing in the center of the city. All around her the buildings that had survived, rose on the blackened ground as she realized with a start that what she had thought was snow, was in fact ash. Falling all over the city. Slowly coating everything in a grim layer. She turned around. Next to her, lay the broken bodies of the children who had been crushed to death.

As she looked, they opened their eyes and started walking towards her. Then the others came, from the streets and squares all over the city. The girl who had been trying to put out green flames on her left side. The man who had been trying to limp across the street. The woman who had been dragging herself after her legs were burned off. They came from all sides. Staggering towards her. The countless dead rising from the wreckage.

She tried to escape inside one of the houses that had survived. But before she could reach the house, the door broke down and from it came even more people. The woman who had tried to protect her son. Behind her came the son. The soldiers who had cooked inside their armor. She ran towards the gates, towards her advisors. And she saw her advisors. Missandei with her head barely attached to her body. Ser Jorah, her bear, stumbling from his many wounds. She saw others coming now. Rhaego, her son, only a baby and crawling towards her. Eroeh, with her blood seeping through the cut in her throat. Hazzea, her body smouldering. So many of them. Their eyes were empty. They held no human emotion in them. All of them just came for her. They reached for her like she was a long-lost relative. She tried to swat them away, to push them away. They grabbed her arms, her shoulders, her neck. She was suffocating now. Barely able to breathe under their weight as they dragged her down with their unheard pleas.

*******

She woke up gasping and flailing her arms around. Trying to keep the dead at bay. She was sweating badly as she leaned over the bed to empty her stomach. Her skin felt sticky and feverish. She remembered the arms of the dead wrapping around her as she heaved again. When she felt a hand on her back as she was heaving, she whimpered and shuddered thinking she was still dreaming. When she turned though, she saw Missandei stretching over the bed towards her, her Missandei not the dead one, concern writ large on her face. She emptied her stomach for the last time and sat up shakily. Missandei shifted towards her and helped her put her weight on her. She was afraid to look at her. She was sure Missandei would know what she had been dreaming about and look at her with a mixture of horror and disgust. But when she turned, all she found was pity. The pity finally did it. She put her head on her shoulder and cried.

_What did I do? What did I do?_ The thought kept repeating itself in her mind. Kinvara had told her that Bran was responsible for her rage. But she hadn't missed the word she had said. _Amplified._ He hadn't created her rage and madness from nothing, he had increased something that was already there. Which meant any day she could descend there. That gaping pit of madness that had swallowed her father and so many before her. How could she ever have considered herself a good Queen? She was a monster, sadistic and cruel. A monster who enjoyed burning everyone and everything in her path. She thought of the plans she had made last night and in the morning. What sort of person was she? How could she be so power-hungry as to still thirst after the Iron Throne? How could she ever judge Sansa?

Ever since her daughter's destiny had been revealed, all she had thought about was what it meant for her. How that destiny would possibly destroy her own future. But she hadn't stopped to think about what it would mean for her daughter. What such a responsibility would do to her? She had only thought about herself. What sort of mother was she? What depraved and inconsiderate mother wouldn't think about their child? She cried it all out. She could do nothing more. She had been blindly arrogant. All she had wanted was to go home. To be at peace. She hadn't realized when that desire had turned into a craving for the throne. She felt Missandei soothingly caress her head. How could she face her? How could she face her people? How could she face _herself?_

When she raised her head and sniffled. "What happened, Your Grace", asked Missandei.

"Nothing, just a stupid nightmare. Go to sleep". When she turned to sleep she chanced a look at Missandei. She knew that she was hiding something from her. And she looked hurt that she didn't trust her. Daenerys sighed. How could she tell her? Alienate one of the last people she trusted anymore? Because once she told her, she was sure Missandei would look at her with accusation? She had murdered half a million innocent people who had nothing to do with her war. And nearly 6,000 men who had surrendered. _Women and children. What have I become?_ She thought about the woman hugging her son as the fire consumed them. She thought of the children who had fallen under the fleeing crowd. Their soft bodies crushed under thousands of feet trying to escape. _Trying to escape me,_ she thought bitterly. Bile threatened to rise again as she thought of the girl beating at the bright green flames on her left side, screaming at the heat as her arms slowly burned.

No, she could not tell Missandei. If she lost her, she would truly lose her grip on sanity. Bran would have to do nothing. She would destroy herself if she lost her friend. But she thought of that fleeting look of sadness in her eyes. What reason would Missandei give herself for the Queen's distrust? She knew the answer. Even though she was free, the stigma of being a slave wouldn't go so fast nor so easily. She would feel that she wasn't worthy of being told something because of her status. She knew it because she herself had lived through that feeling of being lower than others when she had lived with Viserys and then during her early times with Drogo. Of feeling unworthy to have a conversation with Magister Ilyrio. And she would never let someone else feel that way. That was why she had freed them. To give them a chance to think for themselves. To be free of the feeling of powerlessness against people who didn't have any real power. Who ruled with fear and fear alone. But now that she came to think of it, was it because of this she had wanted to free everyone? Or was it because she wanted to show everyone that she could be, that she was, liberal? Once she might have answered that without hesitation. Now she wasn't sure of herself.

But she knew she could not, she _would_ not make Missandei feel unworthy. No matter the personal cost.

She turned to her, "Fine, yes, I've something to say to you". Missandei looked at her curiously. She continued, "But you have to understand. The only reason I didn't want to share this with you is that I didn't want to lose you, not because you are a slave. You must stop thinking like that. Promise me, you won't think yourself of being lesser than anyone". Missandei nodded.

"No, say it. Promise me"

"I promise, Your Grace"

"Very well then. But you must not tell this to anyone". She nodded again.

Daenerys told her everything. She left nothing out. Jon's refusal that had stung her so much, her advisors' failure at every step ever since arriving at Westeros, her grief and fury at her children's death, and then at her and Jorah's death. And the Sack. She told her every bit and every feeling she went through while burning King's Landing. She would leave nothing out. Not with her.

Missandei visibly paled when she recounted her death and the Sack. But she kept going. She recounted her own death. How Jon buried a dagger in her heart. How Quaithe and Kinvara brought her back and sent her back in time to correct her mistakes. And she told her about her daughter, her destiny. She told her about the nightmare that had woken her up and the doubts that plagued her. When she finished she looked down. She was afraid of Missandei's reaction. Either she would think she was mad or she would be disgusted with her. Either way, she would lose her trust. She had known that. And she didn't regret her decision. If it meant Missandei would believe in herself, she was ready to pay the price. _And what about your daughter,_ said a voice in her head. _Are you so ready to doom her to madness like yourself? Because that's what will happen if you lose your mind and she grows up with you._ They remained silent for a long time. _Too long,_ Daenerys thought.

Then Missandei spoke, "Your Grace, I can never forgive you for King's Landing, even though it was only partially your fault". There it was, what she feared. Missandei would leave her now. She continued, "But neither can you. And that makes all the difference in the world". Daenerys stared at her. She saw neither disgust nor accusation in her eyes. All she saw was concern in those innocent, brown eyes. "Your Grace, you are not a murderer. Used, manipulated, and broken, you were pushed towards madness. Betrayed by the people you trusted, refused by the people you tried to liberate. I know they're just empty words when faced with what you did. But they are not empty intentions. You had the best of intentions. That is why we followed you. You didn't need to prove anything to us. You didn't need to show us that you weren't a tyrant. We never knew you or your father or Westeros. We trusted you because we believed in you. And I still believe in you. Because your craving for the throne only came after your care for your people. Everyone makes mistakes. But not everyone tries to improve. Even after thousands die because of them, they think of themselves as self-righteous. You, on the other hand, have always doubted yourself. But the time for doubt is over now, Your Grace. You have to believe in yourself. You have never made a bad decision because you had a lapse in control. You have made bad decisions because you didn't believe in yourself. Show the Starks what they deserve. You wanted to become family. They took that for granted. Now be a Queen. Show Westeros and your enemies that it was your ancestor who conquered them. That you're are not to be trifled with. Show them what it means to be a Targaryen, to be a dragon. Be fierce but compassionate. Be inexorable yet forbearing, brutal yet merciful. Be harsh but just. You treated them as allies and they took that for weakness. Now treat them as what they are, your subjects". Daenerys looked at her, flabbergasted. She had never heard Missandei speak with such certainty in her voice. And in her eyes, she saw more than just concern. She saw belief and devotion.

She wrapped her arms around her. Tears spilled from her eyes. Her heart felt lighter as if she had taken a large weight if it. The weight of the secret. It felt good to spill it out to someone. Someone who loved her. With Tyrion, it hadn't been about revealing her secrets, it had been about cementing his loyalties to her.

Missandei broke away for her and tenderly touched the bump in her abdomen, "Have you named her, Your Grace?"

"Not yet," Daenerys said, "You'll be the first person I'll tell when I do."

Missandei was right. She would not doubt herself. She had resolved to do so herself, but every time she remembered the screams they threatened to drown her in sorrow and regret. No more. After she helped Missandei clean the vomit, she sent Missandei to sleep. But she remained at its fringes. Afraid of the nightmares that would surely come again. Afraid of the dead.

* * *

* * *

She woke early the next morning, tears streaking her cheeks. Her last dream, the woman with her son reaching for her, was still fresh in her mind. All through the night, she had tossed and turned, trying to find some vestiges of peaceful sleep. Now at the first light of dawn, she finally gave up. She felt a fresh wave of nausea roll through her. She barely reached her chamberpot before she threw up, although she had no idea if she had anything to bring up after last night. Her stomach heaved painfully.

She got up and went to the table. She had made plans yesterday and wanted to implement them as soon as possible. She bent down to write 3 letters.

Later she called Kinvara to her solar again. She had gotten to know almost everything last night. She just had to know a few more things. Namely the events after her death. The events she had previously disregarded as irrelevant.

"They are liberal enough that they named a woman as Queen of a Kingdom and a cripple as King of the remaining Kingdoms. Yet they laugh at the idea of people choosing their own leaders?"

"They didn't choose Bran. They agreed with the person who decided to make him king. Tyrion was influenced by Bran to name him king. He planted that thought in his head while he was in your captivity. He planted the thought in all their heads. Why else do you think the Iron Islands and Dorne didn't ask for their freedom when the North did? He had to be the one to take the crown. He had to scour the country of all the rebels as fast as possible and make sure there was no one to protest when he placed the crown on Sansa's head"

"Why let Jon beyond the Wall? He could just have let the Unsullied kill him. Why pretend to defend him and send him there, only to kill him later?"

"Jon Snow was the beloved of the Northmen. If the Unsullied killed him, there would have been another war. Unrest throughout the city once again. Much easier to put on a show of compromise and kill him later silently."

His death still shocked her. He shouldn't have had to die alone and forsaken. No person deserves to die that way. Not even for killing their ruler, not when he did it for the very people who had him killed. _He must have worried about his family. That's why he killed me._ She shook her head. _Why am I defending him?_ He of all people should not have killed her like that. He of all people, because he had tasted betrayal himself. Felt the cold bite of steel in his heart as those he trusted stabbed him.

"Your Grace, you must know something else. The magic used to bring you back from the dead was powerful enough. Magic cannot be done without payment or it will result in unforeseen consequences. The magic we used to send you back in time was even more powerful. Our blood was enough to stop the most extreme of the repercussions. But not enough to halt them completely. It caused a ripple in the fold of time. Most of the events will remain the same. But some minor ones will change."

"Why are you telling me such an important thing _now?_ "

"Because I had no cause to. Until now. There has been a change in the flow of time."

"What is it?"

"I cannot predict that, Your Grace. I can only see major developments. I can barely see the small decisions and changes."

"Fine, go now."

Kinvara hesitated, "Your Grace, I have a suggestion."

Daenerys gestured for her to keep speaking.

"You don't have the support of the people in Westeros. They think harshly of you. Even the common folk."

Why was she reminding her of this? It wasn't the most pleasant detail. Kinvara continued, "I may have a plan for that. I have many red priests and priestesses under my command. I could order them to spread good word about you in the country."

Daenerys thought about it. She vaguely remembered that one of her ancestors had implemented a similar technique. Spread word about the Targaryens and how they were above the laws of common men. Different ideals but the same objective. Words had power. They had spread the words through septons and septas if she remembered correctly. The Faith of the Seven was the leading faith in Westeros. However, she didn't have any septon loyal to her. She'd have to make do with the Lord of Light's followers. Nevertheless, their faith was growing by the day. She nodded.

Kinvara placed a coin on her table. The coin they had used to bring her back. "Use it to call Quaithe. Just place it in a fire."

Dany nodded again. Kinvara bowed and left.

There was still some time. Time in which Daenerys mused over the things she had learned. It seemed Sansa's childhood desire to be Queen had never been diminished, only pushed down and disguised until such time she could make her move. Bran; the once innocent child who had been thrown from a tower had lost almost everything that made him Bran in the first place. Arya; the one Jon had talked about most fondly. Whatever had happened to her while she had been on the run had changed her. Made her bloodthirsty and unrelenting. And her training with the Faceless Men had only aggravated that change. Could she be brought back? To feel something other than rage? To know something other than revenge? Regardless of the answer, Daenerys was not ready to take the chance. Jon; it seemed he had learned nothing. Not even after his death. He had traded blind trust towards one party for blind trust towards another party. He had trusted his brothers of the Night's Watch and they had betrayed him. Stabbed him through and through. He had trusted his family and they had betrayed him. Bran just wanted him out of the way. He hadn't told him the truth out of a sense of honor nor because he thought he would make a great king. He had trusted that the truth about his parentage would drive a wedge between her and Jon. She didn't know whether to laugh at him or feel pity for him. Betrayed by everyone, just like her. But that didn't mean she would leave him out of her revenge. She would do what the Starks had done to her. Isolate them and break not just the Starks, but all her enemies. After last night's mishap, she was still not sure whether or not she was a good Queen. She was still overthinking her steps. But one thing she was sure of was that her enemies would be crushed. They would beg for death before she was done with them.

While she was still contemplating her plans and actions, she heard the Unsullied knock at her door. She told him to enter. When he left she sighed and got up. Now was the time to put the face of the Queen who did not falter.

A fleet of ships had arrived at the bay. Yara was here.

* * *

* * *

_*1 month earlier_

The soft sound of the water splashing into the pool, along with the cool sea winds blowing with that salty smell she loved and the soft sigh of silken curtains blowing in her room, provides the perfect atmosphere for her to fall asleep. She knows she should stay careful, but she has been vigilant for too long. Every now and then even she needs to relax. Her mother has put up guards outside. Guards who are loyal to them. They would alert her. Still, some trepidation remains. She keeps her daggers at her side.

It is nearly dawn when she hears it. The telltale ring of metal on metal. A small sound, nearly undetectable. Far away and careful as if they know she is relaxed today and don't want to wake her. But she has spent nearly her entire life dancing to the sound of ringing metal, brandishing her own instruments. She takes her daggers and stands beside the door. It is still dark outside, although she can just notice the traces of the rising sun. A soon as it opens and a man enters her chamber, she attacks him, plunging her dagger into his back. The man stifles a scream and tries to grab her. She slips underneath his hand and plunges her second dagger behind his knee. This time he screams and falls down in a pool of his blood. She hears other people approaching. She grabs hold of the daggers and gets ready in the same position. The man she killed is wearing Dornish attire. But she can't see the sigil on his robe.

When the others come, she knows she is hopelessly outnumbered. Still, she fights and manages to fell 2 more men before they finally take her captive. She fights them and growls at them as they bind and gag her. But the men who are holding her have grips of iron. She sees her sisters as well as her mother. All of them are bound similarly. One of the men holding her eldest sister has a cut on his cheek. She can only hope that her sister was better prepared than her. It might give them a fighting chance if the man falls. But she notices the number of men around them and gives up all hope. She finally gets a look at their sigil. And freezes. A black portcullis on sand. It all clicks. How they seem to know the layout of the palace, the timing of their attack. And she knows only one person who... no! It couldn't be her, she thinks. She would not do such a thing, not to her, she trusts her and loves her like a sister. The men drag them to a gallery. To _the_ gallery. And it removes all her doubts from her mind. It _is_ her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's been some time since I updated. I try to keep it regular... but that's not always possible. Thanks for sticking with me.
> 
> Daenerys is on her 3rd month of pregnancy.
> 
> Bran didn't want to cause destruction by killing Jon. But he had no trouble causing destruction to get Dany killed. There is a reason for that. Killing Dany is not easy. Sure he could use Drogon to kill her. But that would only have turned people (his family) against him. Think about it. A faithful child turns on his mother and eats her up. Who do they know can control animals? Hmmm... I know, Bran! His family does matter to him. A little. Cause as I said, some Bran is alive. Also then the crown would go to Jon. His aim of keeping the Targaryens from the throne goes to hell.
> 
> I think I gave too many clues in the last paragraph as to what's happening. But that's alright. If all goes according to plan, I plan on updating soon-er-ish?
> 
> Anyway, as always feel free to point out mistakes and plotholes. It helps me out a lot.
> 
> Thank you.


	7. Ancient Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yara arrives. Dorne sends a raven. Daenerys decides to meet her allies on dragon back.

"You've brought us a hundred ships from the Iron Islands, with men to sail them. In return, I expect you want me to support your claim to the Iron Islands?", Daenerys said, looking at Yara. It was clear from the way they were standing that Yara was the leader. And she wouldn't waste time asking what she already knew.

"Our uncle Euron returned home after a long absence. He murdered our father and took the Salt Throne from Yara. He would've murdered us if we'd have stayed", said Theon. She wasn't sure about him. His loyalty would be to her, the same as her sister, one of the last lords who were loyal to her. But he also had close ties with the Starks, especially Sansa. She would worry about him later though. She knew everything, yet she had to put a show in front of others. "Will their ships be enough?", she asked, turning towards Tyrion. He was frozen where he stood. Looking at the Greyjoys with an expression of disbelief and unease.

She was right, he hadn't believed her before. "Lord Tyrion?" She said persistently. That seemed to bring him back to his senses. "What? Umm... yes. With the formers Masters' fleet, it will be possible", he was still looking at Daenerys with a broken expression. His failure had broken him. Broken his belief that he had one of the sharpest minds. She faltered for a moment. _No, no mercy._ She turned, "What about the other ships? There are more than a hundred ships in the Iron Fleet?"

"There are, and Euron is building more. He's going to offer them to you", said Theon.

"And I presume he'll demand to marry me in exchange for the ships?"

Theon nodded, "He murdered our father and would've murdered us. He'll murder you as soon you have what he wants"

"The Seven Kingdoms"

"All of them"

"And you don't want the Seven Kingdoms?"

"Your ancestors defeated ours and took the Iron Islands. We ask you to give them back."

"And that's all?"

"We'd like you to help us murder an uncle or two who don't think a woman's fit to rule," said Yara

"Reasonable," Daenerys gave a small smile.

"You'll support my claim as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms," Daenerys said, standing up and approaching Yara, "And respect the integrity of the Seven Kingdoms. No more reaving, roving, raiding, or raping."

"That's our way of life", said Yara, frowning.

"No more"

She looked at Theon for a moment and then grudgingly raised her hand. Daenerys grasped it.

* * *

* * *

He took his leave from his Queen just as Varys came after her with a letter in his hand. He didn't care much at that point. He was just thinking about how he had managed to mess up so many things. He had come to Daenerys thinking he would be handy to her. When she had listened to his advice he had felt pride. Here was one person who did not judge him for his physical shortcomings. She treated him based on what he was here to do. Not something he had no control over. She had herself live in the streets. Scorned by the people and begging in the gutters. She knew what it was to be shunned by everyone. _And revenge. I came for revenge as well._ And yet when the time came he had failed to exact that vengeance. Like a fool, he had tried to give his sister another chance and believed her.

_No, not one more chance I'll give her._ The rage suddenly boiling in the pit of his stomach. How many betrayals would it take for him to realize that his family was a pit of snakes? _And what does that make me?_ He was better than them. He knew that. He didn't want to harm his own family. But now he would. His family would always betray him. No matter how hard he tried to please them. Now he would make sure they would break. He would relish Cersei's screams as he slowly choked the life out of her. He would wrap his own hands around her throat, not the golden ones that he had used to choke Shae. _For hands of gold are always cold, but a woman's hands are warm._

 _Now you'll see sweet sister, hands of a little brother are as cold as hands of gold._ She was the reason he had lost his position.

Before he knew it, his first canter was empty. As he reached for another one he realized, he couldn't blame her or anyone else. He had only himself to blame. He hadn't been removed from his post because people despised him or because they hated his family. He had bungled it all up because of his own mistakes. And he would have to live with it. _What will she do with me now? Surely I'm not completely useless to her._ Would she send him away? The same way he had been shunned all his life. It was a painful thought. Daenerys's favor meant more to him than he had previously thought. He regained himself. He had been turned away from a lot of places, this would be no different. His second canter finished, he headed towards the door to find some more wine. This would be a long day.

* * *

* * *

Varys approached Daenerys with a letter in his hand. "Your Grace, this letter arrived from Dorne today", he said. He handed it over to her. The seal had a sun with a spear passing through it. _House Martell._ But House Martell had been removed from power. She broke the seal:

Your Grace,

It is my understanding, that you had previously formed an alliance with Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes. It is my displeasure to inform you that, that alliance is now invalid. They wrongfully usurped the throne of House Martell through treason and perfidy.

I have taken back the seat of my house. The end of your alliance with Ellaria Sand, however, does not mean the end of your alliance with Dorne. I'm ready to swear fealty to you as, _Daenerys of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm,_ on the condition that you agree to the following terms

Dorne will retain its laws as it has from before the time of Aegon.

House Martell will retain its seat in the small council as representative of Dorne.

Quentyn of House Martell will be betrothed to Daenerys of House Targaryen.

The man who calls himself Gregor Clegane and Cersei Lannister will be handed over to House Martell.

The heir to House Martell will be fostered with the progeny of House Targaryen.

These are my terms. If you can meet them, Your Grace, then Dorne stands with you in the wars to come.

Arianne of House Nymeros Martell, Princess of Dorne

Daenerys frowned. She would have to talk to Kinvara about her definition of 'a minor change'. She turned to Yara, "Forgive me, but I've some work to do. The Unsullied will show you both to your chambers and will arrange for your crew".

Yara nodded. "It'd be prudent if we start training a few of members of your army. My men will be enough to crew my ships. But you seem to have other ships as well. That will take a few extra men"

She nodded. "Be prepared though. I have some plans to share with you. I won't long before sailing to Westeros."

She turned to an Unsullied and gave him orders to take the guests to their chambers.

She went back to her chambers. She sat down and began thinking. One of her letters was worthless now. The Sand Snakes were out of power. Moreover, she had to get a measure of this 'Arianne'. Words have power, she had thought. And so do appearances. People said the Dothraki respect only power. But the truth was everyone respected power in their own way. Most of the time, power meant assurance of victory. It gave people hope. And hope drove people to perform impossible tasks. Right now, none of her new allies had seen dragons. She meant for them to see her with the fabled creatures who were said to be extinct for over a century ago. That would be enough for now. Enough to bind them to her. She'd cement those bindings later. And she had a perfect plan for that.

After setting everything she sent for Yara and the others. They would take some time in coming, she thought. She got up and placed the coin Kinvara had given her, in a lamp.

She felt more than heard when she arrived behind her. She had noticed in their conversation that Quaithe's magic had its own feel. It was different from her magic. It tingled dangerously. It had a feeling which was neither cold nor hot. It was just there. She turned towards her.

"Where are my dragons?"

"I was putting spells on them when you summoned me."

"They allowed you near them?" Daenerys asked.

"Not without a certain degree of mistrust. But they could tell I was here to help them."

"I need Drogon."

"I'll get him prepared then. Knock on the doors of the catacombs when you are ready. Where will you be going?"

"Westeros." Quaithe's face was masked, but even Daenerys could sense her raised eyebrows. It seemed even sorcerers could be surprised. A knock came on the door. The Unsullied announced Yara Greyjoy and the others. She turned to Quaithe and saw that she was no longer there. _I_ _f only I could do that._

* * *

* * *

The Queen was quite eager to begin planning it seemed. They had barely arrived and she had called them all into her solar. They entered the room and took their place around the map on the table.

She turned to her and Theon and started talking. She explained everything that had happened. From taking the Masters's ships to the letter they had seen in her hand. Apparently, Dorne had a new ruler. While she spoke, Yara looked around at the people next to her and thought about the alliance. They rarely came in contact with Dorne. But the Iron Islands did not have a particularly good relationship with the Reach. It provided some of the most perfect spots for raiding. Both of them were her allies now. She had also heard of Varys. Everyone had heard of the Spider. She didn't trust him. And if the little Queen was half as clever as she sounded, she wouldn't either.

She didn't know what to make of the dwarf. She heard a lot of conflicting accounts about him. He was a monster. He was the devil reincarnate. Born small to deceive others. He was just a dwarf. Deserving of pity. He was a kinslayer and a kingslayer. He was simply a monkey who had taken the shape of a human child. He was a fire devil who had burned Stannis's ships. The last one had made her admire him. Her father had faced the naval might of Stannis and paid heavily with the life of 2 sons and a third son as a hostage. _And his stupid pride._ If only he had been clever enough to see what she did. The Iron Islands couldn't survive without the rest of the Six Kingdoms. Not without their old ways. And a ruler would never allow them that. Just like the Dragon Queen. As she looked at Tyrion though, all she saw was a drunkard.

Finally done with catching them up, she began with her plans.

"How soon can you get the ships sailing?"

The question took her by surprise, "Hmmm... let's see. It will take two weeks to teach some people from your army to sail. I will combine them with some of my men so that no ship has completely novice sailors in command. If we are to sail at the earliest, then the loading of the ships would take place side by side. Animals, weapons, food, and water rations. We would have to sew a few Targaryen banners at the least as a show of power. If we work as quickly as possible, and I'm assuming that the workers here work at the same capacity as those at Westeros, we can sail in about three weeks, give or take."

"And how long to reach Dragonstone?"

"It takes nearly a month of sailing. But those are for ideal conditions in summer. Winter has just arrived. The sea will rage more than they usually do. We may lose a few boats. And there will be days without winds. It will take almost one and a half months to get there."

"Very well. Start training my soldiers and preparing for the journey. Tell them I've commanded it and ask them to volunteer," she told Yara. "We set sail immediately." She nodded.

"Lord Varys, contact your friend Ilyrio Mopatis. He is a powerful Magister. Tell him to use all his influence to stop the trade to King's Landing as much as possible as long as I'm not on the Iron Throne. All losses, I'll repay with interest. But if he refuses to do anything at all, tell him when I become Queen we will resume trade with Pentos on such harsh terms, they will be out begging from Lorath,"

Varys raised his eyebrow, "Do you think it wise to threaten Pentos, Your Grace? Magister Ilyrio has been nothing but kind to you and is your avid supporter. Pentos will not take such a slight lightly."

"Yes, he has been the utmost kind. When he raised me in his home just to sell me to the Dothraki like a broodmare. He _was_ a supporter. Until I broke the back of the slave trade. And I don't intend for them to take me lightly. The world has forgotten what a dragon can do. It needs to be reminded," Yara thought she heard the undertones of a threat. _And so do you._ "Can you do it? Or must I get myself another Master of Whisperers."

Varys looked offended. Nonetheless, he simply nodded. Yara sniggered under her breath.

"I'll be visiting them shortly either way. It should make your task easier to convince him." All of them looked at her.

"Why, Your Grace?" she asked.

"I'm getting there."

She turned to Varys again, "One more thing. You still have means of contacting your little birds in Westeros I believe."

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Ask them to spy on Cersei. And to spread the word among the smallfolk. That Daenerys Targaryen is here liberate them. Spread whatever stories you want. I'll let you decide. Make them hate Cersei even more than they already do." She looked at Tyrion as she said this. He looked at her with doleful expression. May the Drowned God save him! How drunk was he?

Yara spoke, "Forgive me, Your Grace, but you speak as if you will not be here for some time."

"Yes. I told you about Arianne Martell and her interesting demands. I need to speak to her. Properly. I will be heading to Westeros, while you prepare for the journey. I need to talk to my allies. I'll be back before you set sail."

Varys looked at her with a bewildered expression. "Your Grace, won't it be more prudent to not warn the Westerosi of your presence. The less they know about you and your dragons, the better."

"I'm not a fool. I won't be flying over their heads. I'll fly through Dorne and then Highgarden."

"Regardless, a dragon is not a small thing. Whispers will echo back to them."

"Then let them. Echoes spread more fear than full-fledged whispers." That was a threat. A clear one that even the dwarf, drunk as he was, understood. What she didn't understand was why he was giving the Queen and Varys with such an edgy look? Varys looked at Daenerys with a measured and neutral expression. "My Queen knows I serve only her. I will not betray you."

"I should hope not. As much as my father loved burning things, I don't."

Varys bowed.

"That's it then. These are my plans for now. Do any of you have any doubts?"

They all shook their heads. As they turned to leave she said, "Your Grace, may I have a word."

"Yes, but would you mind waiting outside for a moment. I need to _discuss_ something with Lord Tyrion."

Yara shuddered a bit when she said 'discuss'. The way she said it, made her wonder what she intended to do. She felt pity for the dwarf. She had heard rumors that Joffrey had tried to kill a man who had arrived a bit drunk in front of him. Tyrion was drunker than that man. _Does she intend to do the same?_ Nevertheless, she nodded and stepped outside the chamber wondering whether this was the last time anyone would see the dwarf.

She turned to Theon, "Go get our best sailors and some of her men. You heard her start training them immediately."

"What do you intend to do?"

"I need to talk to her about our condition. Without the old ways, we might as well have been left for the dead. We won't survive the coming winter. Not with our only trade being the iron ore deposits."

"You think you can convince her?"

"Perhaps she will be more accommodating away from the eyes of her advisors." She said. Theon nodded and left.

She was worried about him. He hadn't been the same since that monster. And she feared she would lose her own life trying to protect him in battle. She shook herself out of these thoughts. She had other people to think about. Not just her crew, but those who had no part in Euron's election in the King's Moot. She also wondered about her loyalists. _What will he do to them?_

Would the Queen even agree to her terms? She could very well wait for Euron now that they had given her a warning about his true intentions. She might have felt confident that she could convince her to help them. But that was before she met her. Now that she had, she knew that it was not just beauty that made people speak so fervently of her. She had rarely seen a woman of the greenlands carry herself with such confidence. And the fire in her eyes made her shudder when she looked straight at them. She didn't know if it was a fire of defiance or the fire of madness.

* * *

* * *

She wouldn't take any steps against Varys. Not until he did anything wrong. She had just learned that the future could change by a small degree. He may turn out to be loyal this time. He had his uses. But if he placed even a toe beyond the line, she would have him executed. Tyrion on the other hand...

She had been going for a few minutes now. She hadn't missed his drunken state, but it was evident by his face that he wasn't paying attention even now. She slammed her hand on the table between them, and screeched, "Tyrion." He looked up.

"You know you can't kill me the way you did in the previous time, so now you're trying your level-best to annoy me to death?" That finally seemed to discomfit him. _Good._

"Your Grace, please. You know I would never betray you."

"You still deny the truth then."

"No, Your Grace. I _am_ at fault. And I don't want the post of Hand. I don't know what went wrong with me in the other time. But I wouldn't have betrayed you without cause. Please, Your Grace." He whimpered.

Her heart softened a bit. Of course, he hadn't betrayed her without cause. He had enough cause. Cause that made her feel revulsion towards herself and the power plays of Westeros.

How could she blame him? She understood the motive that would have driven him to place such blind trust in his family. His family had only wanted him dead. Her _family,_ on the other hand, had wanted to torture her even after she didn't belong to him anymore. _You don't want to wake the dragon, do you?_ Before the fiasco with the other time, she only had one recurring nightmare. And in those nightmares, when he twisted her nipples through her silk dress, she was as powerless as she was before she joined the Dothraki. And yet, even after she saw him die with calm, cool eyes, she mourned her brother. What he could've been and what he was in the small moments of respite from the begging and the assassins. _If not for the Usurper and his dogs, maybe he would've been kind. Like my other brother._ She had thought for some time after that.

It took her long enough to realize that there was no excuse for being cruel and heartless. What Viserys was had nothing to do with the usurper or their condition. She couldn't expect Tyrion to come to the same realization quicker than her. But still, he had failed her. And this was the best way for her to get rid of him as an incompetent Hand. She had to break his untarnished ego that he had a brilliant mind.

On the other hand, she couldn't have him like this. He had to gain back his confidence and his wits, and some of his arrogance. And she had the perfect task for him.

"If you're done whining maybe you'll listen to me."

He looked up at her with apologetic eyes.

"I have work for you. Something I don't trust the others to do."

"I failed you. You removed me from the post of Hand!"

She waved her hand. "It was my own fault. I placed far too much trust in my advisors and allowed them to take nearly all the decisions. I forgot that advisors are supposed to advise not rule. Regardless, whether you are my Hand or not, I still place a degree of trust in you that I don't place in Varys."

He sat up straighter as he rubbed his eyes. They were red from the wine. _Well, that was a quick effect,_ she thought, smiling inside. She remembered what he had said about her being the first person he had ever believed in. _And then he betrayed me._ She thought bitterly.

She went to her desk and picked up one of the 3 letters and gave it to him. "I need you to make your way to Braavos and talk to the Iron Bank. I need you to convince them to send an envoy here. Tell them I intend to make a deal with them that will be of importance to their trade. They will not agree easily. They rarely send emissaries to other places on the terms of their clients. Which is why I'm sending you. Make a compromise. Rattle some coins. Do what you may. But get them here at all costs and as soon as possible."

"What deal do you intend to make with them... oh!" He smiled a genuine smile for the first time since Yara had arrived. He had understood what she meant to do. She nodded

He bowed. "Your Grace."

"Send Yara in." She called out to him as he left.

When Yara entered, she saw her eyes roving her body. Some things did not change apparently. If she was honest with herself, she did enjoy the attention a bit. But she just couldn't think that way about anyone. She had wondered whether to call Daario to her bed tonight. But when she thought of him, she didn't feel anything. Neither love nor arousal. She didn't want to think about the reason for which she felt that way. _I don't want him. It's only my daughter that I care about. That's the only reason I want him around. For her to have a father. She will have him. But he won't touch me._

In any case, she had to deal with Yara quickly if she wanted to reach Westeros before dark.

"So, what do you want?"

"Your Grace, I must plead my case. The coming winter will be long. As long, if not longer than the summer. We won't survive without our old ways. It's not that I like it much." Daenerys raised an eyebrow.

"Well," Yara smiled like a girl caught in mischief "I do like it quite a bit. There is something to be said about taking something by power." She looked at her knowingly. Daenerys couldn't help smile a bit. Yara managed to surprise her no matter what. But her smile faltered when she remembered what had happened when she took by power. If Yara noticed, she didn't say anything.

"My point being, the only way we canlive without our old ways is by bending our knees to you. And my men will never respect me if I do that."

Dany thought for a moment. Yara was a potential ally. And she was fiercely loyal. She didn't want to lose her and the ships. And she didn't want to give in to her desires. The Reach was also an important ally because of its food supplies. Both of them would tear each other apart and leave her vulnerable. When she thought about the Reach though, she had a potential solution. She remembered why she was going there. Not just for power.

"I have a solution." Yara looked at her.

"But you have to swallow your pride for that. You have to bend the knee," she opened her mouth to speak. "I know what your people will say. But you will have compensation for that. You will have a position in my Small Council."

That shut her up. "Not now, but once we reach Westeros, I will name you Master of Ships."

Yara was opening and closing her mouth like a fish in water. She didn't think it would be possible to shock her. She always seemed so confident. Then again, she had managed to shock a shadowbinder from Asshai.

"Do you accept?" Yara simply nodded.

They discussed a few more things before she left.

Yara left for her chambers with another cursory glance at her. Though it seemed less of a lustful one than a re-evaluating one. She hurried back into her room to prepare for her journey. She only had to take some food and clothes with her. She sent for Qhono and some of the other Dothraki leaders. When they arrived she gave short and cryptic orders. They listened to her and went back. They would obey her. She had no doubts about that. Their eyes still glowed with that fervent devotion and admiration for her.

Once she was done, she hurried towards the dungeons and knocked on it. The sound was so light, she couldn't help but wonder if Quaithe was playing a joke on her. How would she hear it deep inside the catacombs?

"Enter," a small voice near her ear said. She flinched so hard that she nearly twisted her ankle on the steps as the door opened on its own accord. The voice was cool and spoke of dark promises. She strode inside the dungeon to give a piece of her mind to Quaithe... and her jaw dropped.

The catacombs were 5 times larger than the last time she had come in here. And it wasn't jagged ends or rocks. It was as smooth as the original one. Almost as if the room had grown in the bowels of the earth. But that wasn't why she was truly shocked. Drogon was standing before her. But it couldn't be... the Drogon she knew, was barely larger than some of the warships she had taken from the Masters. The Drogon that stood before her was twice his previous size. He was gently nuzzling Quaithe's hand as she fed him a small (by his standards) piece of burnt meat from a dropped carcass on the floor. She was holding it without any visible signs of discomfort, while she worked with her other hand and cast spells that sounded like rushing air, crackling flames, dropping earth, and flowing water, all at the same time.

She turned her head and was even more shocked. She saw 4 eggs in the corner. They were enclosed in a disk-like cage unlike any she had ever seen. At first glance, it seemed to be made of air, that suspended the eggs off the floor. But air did not ripple like that, neither did it flash with red and yellow colors, and not did it solidify into a brown, green, and a multitude of colors. She looked past the cage and saw the eggs. One was a deep metallic blue with silver streams running through it. Another was a red crackled with orange and yellow patches here and there. The third was a bright yellow with golden and white swirls. And the fourth was a bright silver with jagged black lines running through it like lightning bolts.

She again turned to Drogon. His scales were glinting with the reflection of torches that barely illuminated the catacombs. Even from far away, she could sense that his scales had grown much more thicker. Thick enough to possibly even defend against the older version of the Scorpion. She could feel the heat emanating from his body. A strange rumbling seemed to come from him. She hurried to him, thinking he was in pain when she heard the sound properly. It was a rumble of disgust and boredom.

She was a few meters from him when Quaithe held out a warning hand without turning from him.

"I have reduced the amount of magic I'm using for your safety. But any closer and you will be in danger of... well, let's just say it will be better for you to stay away for a few more minutes." Her voice sounded strained

Dany stepped back. Now that she was over her shock, she could feel it. The same dark, cold feeling she had felt when she heard Quaithe's voice in her ear. A feeling that spoke of cool, ruined stone. Of shadows and monstrosities born into the world. Of a power so ancient, it spoke of the birth of the world, so harsh, it spoke of the grind of a razor, of blood trickling endlessly along the sides of a stone altar, of fire bursting through a cavity, of ash in so much bulk it settled and flowed. _Fire and Blood._ A voice said in her head. _You are a dragon. Everyone treated you harshly. Take everything. The world is yours. Touch the cage. Touch Drogon. Quaithe might be harming him, she wants power for herself. Tyrion will betray you again. Varys will betray you, he won't allow a ruler who grants him no freedom. Jon will kill you, he loves his family too much. Sansa will have your daughter killed, she loves the Iron Throne. The common folk will hate you, they will never love the daughter of the Mad King. So why wait? Why put on the show?_ _BURN THEM ALL._

She shook her vehemently to dislodge the thoughts. She could see what Quaithe was talking about. Just a few minutes in this atmosphere, she could feel all her anger and doubts start to take an image. She would burn her enemies. She would burn anyone who stood against her. _NO._ She couldn't fall there again. She would not fall there again. _But it felt good didn't it. To burn everything that stood in your path. To see your enemies fall without resistance._ The voice said. She stepped back a few more steps. The voice was still there, but less insistent. It was driving her mad. _Mad like my father. And powerful like Aegon._ A dangerous combination, she thought. And the worst part was that none of the thoughts had been created out of nothing. After some time Quaithe stepped back. She motioned to Daenerys and stroked Drogon on his snout. He snorted and followed them. When the door opened again, she saw that the door too had grown. She had missed it in the shock of seeing her child. When she stepped out, she released a breath she didn't even know she was holding. Even Quaithe's shoulders seed to relax. As he came behind them, she saw Drogon regaining some of his old ferocity.

She turned to Quaithe. "What did you do to him? How is he so...," she tried to find words. She settled with, "Composed?"

"I barely had to do anything. He stayed calm for the eggs. They may not be his, but in their community hatchlings are raised by all the adults together. The food also helped and so did the magic. It is like home to dragons. They feel comfortable," seeing Dany's worried expression she added, "Comfortable but not careless. If I had tried to harm him, he would have burned me to ashes." Daenerys didn't doubt that. What she _did_ doubt was whether Quaithe would have burned so easily. She kept quiet though.

"Where are Rhaegal and Viserion?" She asked after some time.

"Roaming the skies. I did my magic on them first because they are easier. Drogon is more... temperamental."

"This magic won't harm them?"

"No, Your Grace."

"What was that magic? It seemed unnatural. And harsh and cold. It seemed worse than blood magic."

"It is an ancient magic known to few people. I was lucky enough to learn it. And to survive it."

"Don't risk my children. I don't want anyone harmed."

Quaithe bowed her head and went back. She noticed that when the door opened, she did not feel the effects of magic. But when she stepped near the door she could feel it's power even when it was closed. The power was bound in that small area. She shuddered. Quaithe was right. The full amount of magic would have driven her mad.

Drogon snarled behind her as he lowered his wings. She smiled up at him. He was still her child. Even if he had had a rapid growth spurt and now sported a head that was taller than her.

"Time to scare some people." She said as she climbed onto his back. He rumbled in response. He almost sounded excited. She sighed. _At least one of us is._ He spread his wings and launched himself into the sky. A small laugh escaped her. She remembered why she liked flying so much. Up in the air, there was nothing that would weigh her down. Not the horrible past, not the uncertain future and not the traumatic 'other time' she had escaped from. She was free. She was a dragon. She flew over the Iron Fleet. She saw people screaming in a mixture of awe and fear. She saw them pointing at her. She thought she saw Yara, but that must have been her imagination. She was too high to distinguish faces. She climbed higher now. Feeling the wind in her face. She urged Drogon to fly faster. Rhaegal and Viserion tried to follow. They were as big as him. After some time they gave up when they realized their mother didn't want them to follow today.

"Come on Drogon," she said, as they flew towards Pentos.

* * *

* * *

_*1 month earlier_

She was sitting in a chair placed exactly at the place her father used to sit in. _A sick sense of poetic justice,_ she thought with a sneer. She had recovered from her initial shock. Now she thought of ways to escape. She felt hot bubbling hate for her friend. _I used to call her a sister._ She is just another traitor. She was wearing a hood. Obara and Nymeria didn't know her as well. They were still in the dark as to who she was. She lifted her hands and let the hood fall back. Obara snarled, while her mother looked at her in disbelief. Nymeria as always kept a neutral expression. Tyene was angry but afraid as well. _I'm her cousin, almost her sister. She will not do anything to me._ But looking at her face it was hard to be sure. It was peaceful, almost too peaceful. She knew that look. It was the one Doran always wore to hide his feelings. But that was where the similarities ended. She was beautiful and soft to look upon. Invigorated and eyes sparkling. Unlike Doran with that tired look and those weary eyes. But when she spoke, Tyene found another similarity to her father. Her voice was calm and measured just like his. And tinged with the rage she felt inside.

"I loved my father with all my heart. I was his precious one. The one he hadn't sent away. Then I found that he planned to crown Quentyn the prince of Dorne. I grew mad. I raged, but no one knew why. I never told anyone that he planned to steal my birthright from me. But I would die before I gave my crown to him. Then my uncle died. And I grew to despise him. He was weak. He didn't deserve the crown of Dorne. And if Quentyn was anything like him, they would destroy Dorne. He called me to him one day. Told me everything. 'My beloved daughter', he called me. I wanted to slap him. How dare he call me that after stealing my birthright?. But as he spoke, I understood. I thought he had done it because he wanted a son more than a daughter. Do you know what he told me?" She looked at their gagged forms. None of them gave a single sign that they had heard her.

She told them what Doran had told her. About the marriage pact between the Martells and the Targaryens. About the change in plans when he decided to marry Quentyn to Daenerys because Viserys had died. They were shocked. None of them had thought that Doran could hold revenge for so long in his heart. In their blinding hate for the Lannisters, they had forgotten that he was Dornish as well. And Dorne will never forget.

"I despised my father. Hated him even when he did nothing after Oberyn's death. He was your father and my uncle. Yet he was closer to me than my father. I even mocked my father. But he was my father still, and I didn't want to kill him. Maybe I can forgive that. Maybe I'd have. But you killed Trystane and Myrcella. Innocent children," she scoffed. "Uncle would've been ashamed. You became Lannisters in your course to destroy the Lannisters."

And that did it. Brought tears to her mother's eyes. She had lived with that self-doubt ever since they had killed the girl. What would her father have said? He would've been proud surely. They had taken revenge against the Lannisters. He would be proud right? While her mother shed tears, Obara looked furious for being compared to the Lannisters and Nymeria looked stoic. Arianne got up.

"You know I'm thankful in a way. My father was a fool despite what he thought. His plan would've failed. Quentyn would've failed in his job. He is too gullible to woo the Dragon Queen on his own, let alone rule with her. He needs others to do the work for him. Weak, but he has his uses to bind Dorne to the Iron Throne once again."

Tyene looked to the Yronwood guards. Quentyn had been raised there. Surely they had some sympathy for him. If they could be turned...

"Don't look at them. They respected Doran and followed him. But they too were restless when he did nothing. Regardless, they were livid when they found that he had been wrongfully usurped. So they backed me. They had been with Quentyn long enough to realize he was even more unfit to rule." She tried to speak. Arianne gestured to one of the guards. He removed the gag. She moved her mouth. It was paining badly. Her throat was dry.

"What do you intend to do with us?" She rasped with pleading eyes. She was her cousin and her best friend. She wouldn't do anything to her.

Arianne looked at her coldly. And she saw it. Gone was the impulsive girl who had kissed her first boy with her. In her place stood a Princess. And she would've had the chance to stand beside her. To take revenge together. She had thrown away that chance. Why had she not realized? It didn't matter that bastards were treated nearly the same as royal children in Dorne, or that they were the daughters of the beloved 'Red Viper', or that the people of Sunspear hated Doran. The rest of Dorne would never support bastards. Especially if they killed the rightful ruler.

Arianne spoke. "I can still understand killing Doran. But Trystane? He was a child," she said looking at Obara and Nymeria. "Did you think I would never know? Or that I would bend over for you to rule. Give my birthright to you when I wouldn't give it to my own brother."

She kneeled in front of her sisters. "You will have appropriate punishment." Her tone froze them both. Even they had heard the menace behind her voice. The cold fury that she so carefully contained. "Do you know what Lord Wyl did to Baelor and his cousin Aemon." She stopped breathing. Of course, she knew. Poisons were her specialty. And she loved to study poisons from snakes. Lord Wyl's story was especially exciting to her. Hearing about an invader getting to know his place. Now it just nauseated her. Obara and Nym knew but didn't remember. They were never interested. Her mother knew, but she had been sobbing since hearing about the Lannisters. She didn't hear.

Arianne looked at the confused look on their faces, "I won't be so cruel as to put you in a cage. You _are_ my cousins after all. And certainly not just one of you. That would be cruel. To see one sister trapped," Both of them stilled. They were remembering. "No, I will place both of you in 2 different cages suspended over a pit full of vipers. Red vipers." Tyene sobbed. Red vipers were one of the most poisonous ones. _And my father's symbol._ "You will be given amenities of course. Food and water. Not clothes or weapons though. Yes, only food and water. And the keys to your cages." 

Tyene sighed. At least they would be safe. Only humiliated and locked in one place. She would get them out. And make Arianne suffer. Woe betide her if she let Arianne die without begging for death.

She should've known that Arianne would not let them live.

She turned to the guards. "Lock Tyene and Ellaria in the blackest cell possible. And place Obara and Nymeria in two cages in the center of a pit far from each other. Give them the keys to the cages. They must not be able to pass anything to each other. Give one of them food, and one of them water." Obara and Nymeria lost all the color in their face as they understood. One of them would only get only water and the other only food. They would survive for a few days. Maybe weeks. But they would die in agony. One of them out of starvation. The other out of thirst. Unless they tried to get past the pit of snakes. In which case they would be bitten to death.

"Make sure they can use nothing that you give them. Feed the snakes just enough so they don't die. And if the prisoners decide to walk out of the pits, let them. If they escape, let them go. They would've have earned it."

Her mother finally looked up. She screamed against her gag. Tyene screamed as well. "No. Please don't. Please. I'll do anything. Don't do this. Just please don't." Arianne looked at her in disdain and gestured to the guard to gag her again. Even the guard looked a bit shocked. But the others looked on in grim satisfaction. She tried to struggle but in vain. Obara and Nym simply stared at her. She looked at them, "Chose. Chose who will get the water and who will get the food. Chose or I will." They steeled their eyes and didn't budge. Arianne sighed, "Fine. Give _Lady_ Obara the water and _Lady_ Nymeria the food. Goodbye sisters. I will miss you." She nodded to the guards. Their work here was done. She slumped down on the floor. She knew Arianne had something planned for her and her mother as well.

As they put them in a dark cell after removing their binds and gags, she sobbed and placed her head on her mother's shoulder as her body hitched with her own sobs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that people, was the longest chapter.
> 
> Honestly, I think they butchered the Dornish plot in more ways than just abandoning the 'Fire and Blood' speech and the marriage pact. They showed Doran as a pussy. Too much of one. They never showed that he cared more about his people than any of the other wardens. That was the only reason he didn't join the War of the Five Kings. Also, no one? Not one goddamn person had any problem with 3 people however famous and loved just killing the rightful ruler? I can accept that the palace people hated him. Hell, I can even accept the whole of Sunspear hated him. But the entire Dorne? What sort of crazy batshit is that? And no one had any problem with them taking the throne? From what we know about Westeros, half of them would have battled the other half for control of the Dornish throne. And finally, Areo Hotah is the biggest pussy. Or so they showed. In the books, he always kept a close eye on the Sand Snakes. In the show, stabbed in the back. Just like Aerys, our mad boy. Cause you know, both of then have the same skill level. That makes sense.
> 
> Lord Wyl's story was brilliant. I love snakes. So to be clear what the punishment basically means is that Obara will get water and Nymeria will get food. They can't throw the food or the water to each other. And they can't exactly run across the pit unless they want to get bitten to death. I know it's cruel, but hey they killed 2 innocents. And Obara is so obnoxious in the show. She actually smiles smugly after killing a child. FROM BEHIND! Have the goddamn guts to face him.
> 
> About the timeline. I think it's acceptable. One and a half months to sail around western Essos. Half a month to learn basic seafaring activities.
> 
> Those who don't know, Lorath is the poorest of the Nine Cities of Essos. Hence the reference.
> 
> I know some people are probably gonna call me out for justifying Tyrion. But I think it makes sense. He doesn't want Jaime dead (show). And despite all his hatred towards Cersei, he doesn't want her dead either. Especially when she has a child brewing inside her. Family calls. Even Dany loves Viserys (a bit). Part of the reason she named a goddamn dragon after that guy. So yeah, Tyrion's conflict is justifiable. What's not justifiable is his sudden stupidity. The same guy who almost single-handedly managed to defend a meagerly equipped King's Landing from one of the best naval commanders manages to lose 2 dragons, fails to get an army up North, votes a goddamn cripple (nothing against them. Just unbelievable in medieval times) and fails to foresee anything in almost 4 complete seasons.
> 
> As always. Reviews people. I need reviews. About the pace, about the story, about plot holes. Anything you find a fault in. If you are unsatisfied with how some things are turning out, please let me know. I'll do my best to either explain that things are about to change or I really will change some things.
> 
> Thank you all for reading.


	8. Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dany meets her allies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The journey between Dorne and Meereen will be told in a flashback.

"Your Grace, it is a pleasure to receive you," Arianne said, eyeing her dragon.

When she had arrived flying over Sunspear, the townspeople had screamed in abject terror. The guards had gawked at Drogon before coming to their senses. Or some echo of their senses as they tried to throw spears at him, as he hovered in the sky, with their bare hands. She landed straight inside the courtyard. The guards rushed at her with spears but when Drogon roared they looked at each other and seemed to reconsider as they hesitated. A dragon in the courtyard was not a fair fight.

A young woman came rushing out of one of the rooms. Her hair was disheveled and her clothes rumpled. She was buxom and olive-skinned. Her thick black hair would look nice if not for their current state. She looked at Daenerys for a moment before sending the guards back. They hesitated before following her orders. It was clear they respected her. And Dany could see why. She held herself high and straight. With steel in her eyes and a confidence that wasn't broken by the state of her clothes. The moment they were gone her shoulder seemed to relax just a bit. The steel in her eyes softened a bit. It was the look of a ruler who had to make sure that the person in front of him neither saw her as rigid nor compliant. It was a look Daenerys held.

She got off Drogon and walked towards her. Arianne looked her over. After some time she finally bowed. "Your Grace, it is a pleasure to receive you." She nodded in response and looked over her shoulder. Drogon screeched and took flight. She knew he would keep to the south. Arianne stared after him warily. "Where is he going?"

"Just flying through the skies. He won't harm anyone."

"I think we should step into my chambers."

She knew why she was here. Dany nodded.

Once inside her pose relaxed even more. It was a space she was familiar with and Dany was not. It gave her a sense of ease to be on home ground. _Much more like me than Ellaria or the Queen of Thorns._

"Aren't you worried that you lose your safety without your dragon."

"No. Kill me and Drogon will let lose flames all over Dorne. Nothing will stop him. Or my other children."

"Where are they? Your other children."

"Somewhere in the sky."

She nodded. If she caught the lie, she didn't let her know. It wasn't a complete lie. Viserion and Rhaegal would burn whoever hurt her. And they were probably roaming the skies. Just not the skies above Dorne.

"Would you like to break fast with me?"

"Yes of course." She was starving. Arianne called one of her guards to order the servants to bring some food for both of them. They remained silent until the food arrived. The food smelled quite delicious.

As it turned out, it was. And it was spicy. The first bite felt like a blast of hot furnace air in her mouth. Her face reddened. Arianne laughed, "Yes. Dornish food is a bit... piquant." She coughed a bit. It was a bit too spicy for her liking. Nevertheless, she had eaten worse things, she thought, remembering the stallion's heart. And strangely enough, she seemed to like it. The spicy food seemed to satiate something else inside her. After they were done Arianne called one of the maids and asked her to clear the table.

"Your demands...,' Daenerys began.

"Are non-negotiable," Arianne said with a stony face.

"You have to understand. Dorne is not the only kingdom I've allied with. The Reach and the Iron Islands are also my allies. And The Reach wants justice against House Lannister as well. I cannot hand over Cersei to you."

"And the Mountain?"

"He is yours."

"So you have no problem giving Cersei to the Reach and offending us, but you have a problem in doing the opposite? Do you not want Dorne? Do you think we will roll over for you?"

"I will not hand Cersei to anyone. I'm not coming to Westeros to be another tyrannical ruler. Cersei will get a fair trial." Arianne raised her brow.

"She is a cruel and inconsiderate ruler. Do you think she would extend the same courtesy to you?"

"Oh, I have no doubts about what she would do to me if I was caught. But I'm not her, am I?"

Arianne shrugged, "You can't battle brutality and tyranny with soft words."

"You saw my dragon. Do you think I'm here to negotiate with soft words?" Arianne smiled at that.

"And the Mountain? Not that I'm complaining, but doesn't he deserve a fair trial?"

"If rumors are true, he is not — well — human. He is more dead than alive. Dead people don't get fair trials."

"Regardless, I'm here to talk about your other terms."

"I thought Cersei's handover was your only problem."

"Not quite. I have an issue with another one of your conditions," Arianne stared at her. "Namely my betrothal to your brother Quentyn."

"That cannot be negotiated. I will not hand over the marriage alliance to someone else."

"Hear me out. I'm not asking you to do that. The marriage alliance proves more of a hindrance to my conquest than any other deal. If I do that, I will be openly favoring you. That sours the initiative for any other prospective allies." She said. "I have another option for you. You'll get the same thing you want. A marriage alliance to the Crown."

"I'm all ears," she said with a cold look.

"It regards another one of your deals. Specifically, the deal regarding the fostering of your heir with the Targaryen household. If I don't marry Quentyn it leaves the marriage proposal for my heir open. And people can't say I favored you. My child will fall in 'love' with yours." She emphasized the word love.

Arianne thought about that for a moment. She had given her an alternative. Refuse to budge and maybe she would leave them be. But Dorne would never get its revenge. Or stand with her, and take the long-awaited vengeance for Elia and Oberyn. The only problem would be to wait a little longer. Arianne wanted a Martell ruling side-by-side. Fine. With Quentyn she would have no time to avoid the marriage. But with their heirs maybe she would have time to get out of the deal. Sure Dorne had a long memory. But by then she and her daughter would possibly be out of Westeros. She thought about her daughter's destiny with relief for the first time. _Who would have thought? The risk of madness is a better option than Westeros,_ she thought giddily.

"Fine. But I have a question. Who do you intend to marry?" _No one. If I could lose myself in someone else's arms, I would've done that already._

"That remains to be seen."

Arianne nodded. "Would you do me the honor of staying with us for a few days?" Now that the negotiations were over, it was back to false courtesy and fawning over little things. She nodded with a small smile. Arianne stood up and led her to her chambers.

* * *

* * *

Nearly a week later she was flying towards Highgarden. She thought about her stay in Dorne. Arianne had wasted no time in introducing her to the people. She explained to the high lords and the common folk alike that Daenerys was here to give them their promised revenge. She could see it was all an effort to secure her position as their Princess. That she was the rightful ruler and not weak like their father. Dorne had been in unrest after her father's death. The Yronwoods were the most powerful family after the Martells. Their support had meant the difference between civil war and peace. Each new day she saw one or the other Houses swearing their fealty to her.

In the court, she found she had much more in common with Arianne than she had thought. Both of them were trying to hold together a kingdom that brimmed with impatience. Even after the assurance that they would have their revenge, their tolerance was at a breaking point. A few wrong words to one unsatisfied highborn would tip the scales towards war. She could sense the tension in Arianne's neck when one of the lords asked her how they could trust 'the dragon queen' and that she won't turn against Dorne after she had won the Iron Throne. The silence stretched on for a long time, the tension tangible in the air. The hall was filled with the other lords and ladies while she herself stayed disguised as a common peasant girl with her head covered. She wanted to see how they talked about her when she wasn't there. A few of them had referred to her as 'the Mad King's daughter' and some by her name. The majority used 'the dragon queen'.

"Her Grace is here to help us. She has already agreed to my conditions. She knows she has no chance to win the Iron Throne without our help. However, I understand if you are apprehensive about sending your people to war. I will not force anyone to join the war if they do not want to. So do you stand with us, my lord?"

Daenerys smiled. In one sentence Arianne had turned the accusation around. If he said yes, he would have to hold his tongue against her, at least for the time being. If he said no, he would be called a craven. As it was, the man spluttered and paled and after some hurried assurance that he would stand with the rightful ruler of Dorne, he left the court amid throes of laughter from the others. Arianne visibly relaxed. After a few days, she decided to take her leave. She told Arianne her plans over the map. "Keep your forces ready. The call may come at any time in the next three months."

Arianne nodded. She called Drogon after that. When he landed she saw Arianne looking at him with a slightly awestruck expression. She had seen him twice over the week when he came to eat. She had thought livestock would be a problem in a desert, but they had plenty of it in the castles. For what purpose, she had no idea.

"Would you like to touch him?"

Arianne jerked her head. "Do you think it will be safe to do so?"

"I think he will stay calm." She wasn't sure what brought the idea to her head. Maybe it was a way of being assured that Quaithe wasn't doing anything wrong to him. That his newly composed nature was a result of the eggs and not some corrupting, dark magic. Arianne approached him. He snorted and she lurched back.

"Slowly. Approach him slowly. Let him know that you are not a threat." She looked at her with incredulous eyes. Though she didn't say anything, the message was clear. How was she a threat to a dragon? Arianne did as she was told though. Slowly inching her way towards him. She reached him, but his face was too high. After some time he lowered his head to her hand and let her touch his snout. A grin broke through her face. A grin, free of all her worries and responsibilities. Seeing her made Dany smile too. How old was she? Probably the same age as her. Maybe even younger. And here they were, trying their best not to get people killed. She left after that.

After nearly half an hour she saw the tell-tale signs of an approaching palace. The small huts spreading around in no discernible way. Fields dotted with people gathering around in small clusters to trade all kinds of things. Their wares and the new gossip. Everywhere she looked she saw green fields stretching as far as the eye could see. And rising above them all, one of the most beautiful castles she had ever seen. Highgarden.

She was here. To meet her last ally. _For now._ The people seemed to notice her. They pointed up at her and began screaming. As she neared the castle she once again wondered how it had fallen so easily? The Reach was the kingdom that had suffered the least casualties despite active participation in the War of the Five Kings.

She landed just outside the castle walls. The guards were warier here than the ones in Dorne. She got off Drogon and approached them. But this time she kept him near her.

"Tell Lady Olenna that Queen Daenerys wishes to meet her." She told one of the gatekeepers. He looked at her dumbfounded. She stared at him and shook his head. "Yes of course. I'll do that."

"No need. I'm here already," said a voice at his back. The Queen of Thorns was approaching them slowly with one of her granddaughters in tow. "Do close your mouth dear," she said to the guard as she reached them. "You're practically drooling over the young girl." Dany bristled a bit at being called a girl. But Lady Olenna had always been rather straightforward and harsh. Most of the time anyway.

But the death of nearly her entire family had been a massive shock to her. She could see the vestiges of masked grief in her face. She had loved Margaery more than anyone else. A clear favorite among her granddaughters. Perhaps the only one who had received her cunning and shrewd sense. Nevertheless, she had other granddaughters and if Dany got the throne, the laws of inheritance would change.

"Come in then, it seems we have much to discuss." She showed no sign of surprise at her arrival or Drogon. She turned back and headed towards the staircase.

Dany once again turned around and told Drogon to keep out of sights as much as possible. He took off as she turned to follow Lady Olenna.

She was right. There was much to discuss.

* * *

* * *

Lady Olenna led her directly to her chambers. And they began talking. They talked extensively about the current conditions in which the war was to be held. The weather and the people. They talked for a long time before she was shown to her chambers. Lady Olenna employed different tactics than Arianne. She didn't want the news of her arrival to reach Cersei. She didn't make Daenerys meet the people or the lords. Only the common folk near the castle had seen her. People living farther away hadn't noticed her arrival. Those who knew had been kept silent with a mixture of bribes and threats. Her stay remained quiet. "You were foolish dear," she reprimanded her one day. Much gentler than the tone she used with others. Even Daenerys could notice that she had taken a liking to her. She continued, "If you didn't want the news of your arrival to reach Cersei's ears you should've found a more inconspicuous way to arrive. A dragon is hardly obscure." Dany didn't tell her that she wanted some of the rumors to reach her. But she hadn't thought about her actions. She reprimanded herself for it. That she had been in Pentos would surely be known in King's Landing by now. She noticed that the Queen of Thorns never reprimanded her in front of others. Only when they were alone. Which was good because she was facing problems of her own. Her pregnancy was becoming harder to hide. She had taken to wearing a bit more flowy dresses which she had borrowed from Lady Olenna when she had found out one day.

"So who is the father?"

Daenerys choked on the tea she was drinking. "What?"

"Oh please, dear. I've lived long enough to know these things. So once more, who is the father?" Dany hesitated. "Oh don't tell me if you don't want to, but you should've taken something else than your tight, royal dresses if you wanted to hide it. I will lend you some for the time being."

Dany hastily muttered thanks. Since then she had received small bits of advice from her and the old lady had kept the secret. They had discussed her allies one day. And who would side with her when her army arrived in Westeros.

"Just the fact that you are the Mad King's daughter will turn people against you. On top of that, you are bringing a foreign army and Dothraki savages. Cersei will use that. She will appeal to their patriotism." She scoffed. Dany knew what she meant. The same men who fought amongst themselves. The irony was glaring. She continued, "The Riverlands are in chaos. The Tully boy is trying to rally them but his captivity, and his compliance in the death of the Blackfish and the sack of Riverrun have marred his reputation. Many of the lords will side with Cersei. That gives her access to the second-most fertile region in Westeros. Or some part of it. The Stormlands remain in disorder. Some desperate ones may ally themselves with her. Most blame her for Robert's death. From what you told me she will try to ally herself with Euron Greyjoy to gain a navy. The Westerlands are hers. And many of the Reach lords only stay put because I lead them. Or because Cersei killed their beloved Queen. Many of them would gladly turn against me the moment they would be given the chance. First and foremost would be that uptight, old cunt Randyll Tarly. The only reason I've kept him is because he is a brilliant battle commander. And God knows we need more of those. Though not of his ilk." She took a small break.

"That leaves Dorne, the North, and the Vale. Cersei has declared all of these kingdoms in open rebellion. Which is why I believe you should try to ally with the other two."

Dany laughed bitterly, "They won't ally themselves with me. The only allies I have are because they want revenge. You want revenge for Margaery, Dorne wants revenge for Elia and Oberyn. Yara wants revenge for her uncle stealing her throne."

"The North has lost much to the Lannisters as well. And the Vale stands behind Littlefinger. He will declare for you without a second thought. You have dragons. You have power. And that man hungers for power. Be careful of him though."

Littlefinger wouldn't be a problem for her. He would be dead before she even met him. Of course, Lady Olenna didn't know that. "I will be careful enough. The North does hate the Lannisters. But apparently 'The North Remembers' or some such. They won't forget the fact that my father burned their grandfather and uncle alive. And they have declared themselves free."

Lady Olenna waved the sentence away. "Their ancestor was the King of a free kingdom as well. Yet he bowed when the dragons came. They will bow to you as well."

"They will. But I won't make them."

Shel looked at her like she had gone mad. She explained. "The North will actively resist against me. I will only lose precious time, money, and soldiers, trying to bend them. And for what? The North has no economical value. They have only one thing that they can sell. Their ironwoods and timber. Even then, they never bothered to form trade connections. White Harbor has some trade. But that's barely enough to feed its own people. When winter comes, they lose the most people. They barely have food enough to feed their own. They have no value whatsoever to me. They want independence for their frozen wasteland, let them have it."

The old lady fell deep in thought. After some time, she nodded. Dany went back to her chambers. She went to sleep with some discomfort. Her belly was becoming bigger. Soon enough, it would be futile to hide it. If everything went according to plan Yara would be getting ready to sail in a few days. Tyrion would also be returning with the delegates of Iron Bank. R'hllor's followers and Varys's little birds would have started spreading the tale of her benevolence through Westeros. And Pentos would begin to slow down trade to Westeros about now.

She remembered how she had landed right in the front garden of Magister Ilyrio's estate. He had been shocked along with his servants. They had gone inside and argued long and hard about her conditions. Pentos would slow down trade to King's Landing and eventually stop it in the course of the next three months. If anyone asked, the reason would be that he did not want to trade with a kingdom in debt. It was a loss to sail with so many articles and sell so few of them. And winter was here. The sea was too rough. It was his job to convince the other Magisters to her plan of action. A few well-placed threats served the job well. She would inform Braavos about their illegal slave trading ships. She would destroy all their trading ships. Ilyrio had readily agreed in exchange for a bit more recompensation than his peers. She had agreed. She already knew most of them would not listen to her. She did not expect them to. But if even one of them listened to her threats, it would be worth it. Either way, it didn't matter. The only reason she was doing this was to reduce the damage as much as was possible from her side. If any ship did come, and many would, she would warn them to turn away. If they did not, well... fools deserve to die. She would not make good on her threats about informing Braavos. Westeros needed Pentos to maintain steady contact with Essos. For the time being. And she didn't want to take drastic measures unless necessary. Meereen had enough in its treasury to recompense the few Magisters who would give her threats any credibility and still support the whole of Bay of Dragons. Not to mention the treasury of Yunkai and Astapor as well. The only problem would be paying back the Iron Bank. She did not want to be like Cersei. She did not want to depend on any one kingdom for her money. It would give the Reach too much power over her. Fortunately, she had a plan for that. She could only hope that it worked. While they discussed all this, Drogon snarled outside at well-timed moments. She could still smell his sweat mingling with the perfume.

Over the next days, she outlined her plans to Lady Olenna. In about three weeks, a few ships from the Iron Fleet would arrive at Oldtown. And in one a half months she would arrive with her fleet in Dragonstone. Over this time she had to siphon off all the gold and grains from Highgarden to Dragonstone where some of the Unsullied were waiting to guard it for her. She remembered her conversation with Grey Worm and then with Yara after she had named her the Master of Ships. He had agreed to send some of his best soldiers with the ships. Each ship was fully packed with Yara's crew and the Unsullied. They would make sure that the Ironborn remained disciplined and did not steal the gold. Of course, this would not be possible with only a few ships, which was all Danerys could afford without alerting Varys. She had played a clever move. Telling only a few parts of the plan to each member. She felt good about herself. She had thought long and hard about the problem of the number of ships. So few ships would have to make several trips to transport all the material for which she had no time. She had come up with a plan. A plan that involved Lady Olenna's family. Her birth family. She would have to convince Paxter Redwyne to side with her. Of their thousand-ship large fleet, 200 of them were warships and the rest were trading galleys. No one would be suspicious of a trading galley carrying a large amount of food and gold. Which meant Lady Olenna got to keep her alliance with her a secret and help her at the same time. When the call came, she and the non-fighters would travel to Oldtown and from there, with the waiting Iron Fleet to Dragonstone. She would stay behind, however. To prepare the Redwyne fleet and then sail to Dragonstone. She would take enough soldiers with her to carry all the gold and grain from Highgarden. Of the remaining soldiers, some would stay to defend Highgarden. Others would split into 2 halves. One half would head to Brightwater Keep, the seat of House Florent. The other to Cider Hall, the seat of House Fossoway. The Florents had returned to their overlords after Staniss's defeat in the North. Most of their army was decimated. The Fossoways had forsaken Stannis after the Battle of the Blackwater. They were also lesser in number. Both the castles were in the perfect place and perfect conditions. All this of course would've to be done in utmost secrecy. They had to maintain their element of surprise.

Olenna had refused at first. She didn't see any reason to move. Highgarden could very well defend itself. Dany had spent the next day trying to convince her. Cersei could easily persuade many of the lords of the Reach to take up arms against her. Her own foreign army would be a cause. But it was more than just patriotism. The Iron Bank wanted to collect it's due. If they didn't pay it back, it would take a toll on the entire country. On their precious lives. Only Highgarden had the necessary gold to pay them back. Cersei would also target her because she had enough food to keep King's Landing fed. She could also target the Florents. They had always laid claim to Highgarden. With the Tyrells removed it would go to them. Or maybe even Randyll Tarly, 'the old cunt'. When she had finally convinced her, she had made improvements to her plans. She was the one who had recommended the castles and the paths. The use of the Redwyne trading galleys, instead of warships, was her idea. And so were many other subtle points. On one hand, Daenerys was pleased that she had such an able strategist as an ally, but on the other hand, she was disgruntled. She thought returning from the dead and from another timeline would make her wise. That her plans would be foolproof. That her only problem would be her Targaryen blood. She had much to learn. The country she was trying to liberate, its people, its culture. Much more.

When she had climbed on to Drogon Lady Olenna had grasped her hands. "Take care child. The world is a cruel place. And a hundred times crueler to a woman who wants power. Or anything, for that matter, that the world has deigned not to give to a woman. It's another thing I empathize with Cersei. Other than the love for my family. Take care of your babe."

In these rare moments where she showed herself, Dany had realized that she _did_ see her as Margaery. Maybe because in this timeline she had decided to take actions herself and was more cunning than in the other one. Whatever the reason, she would not fail her. The old lady had lost nearly everything she held beloved. She deserved something more. Other than a castle devoid of so many people she loved. She gasped. How could she have forgotten? The most important thing she had come here to do. She reached behind her and took a small brown package.

"This is yours. I will make it official when my allies are together." Saying this she took off. When the Queen of Thorns would open the package all that would drop into her hand was a small item made of ordinary steel and plated in cheap silver. A small item that held tremendous power.

A brooch in the shape of a hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of the 3 most powerful fleets in Westeros, the royal fleet of the crownlands was destroyed during the Battle of the Blackwater with only a few ships spared. Half the Iron Fleet belonged to Dany, and with the Redwyne fleet, she can easily destroy Euron's fleet. Maybe. He is after all one of the most experienced battle commanders on sea.
> 
> About Daenerys's plan of not telling all parts of the plan to her allies. It shows that she is still a novice. Kind of. Although the plan has merits. One of the most important being that Varys or someone else will not be able to take action against her until the plan is already in action. And that would be too late. But it has a major drawback. It sows mistrust between her allies if they come to know that they don't know some parts of the plan, that she considered her other ally more worthy of her. Extending on this it also sows disrespect or anger towards her from her allies that she does not trust them enough. This is especially relevant considering the prickly nature of the royals in those times. It also provides a more strategic drawback. One ally may get in trouble in their part of the plan that the other allies don't know about. They have no one to help them cause the others might think that he/she is lying about the plan. And this destroys her advantage. To manage the pros and cons of her plan, Daenerys needs tremendous mental capabilities. Something she doesn't have even after her other timeline. So we'll see how it goes
> 
> In about 5 chapters King's Landing will fall. Possibly. It might take more chapters or lesser.
> 
> Let me know if you find inconsistencies, mistakes, or anything. And leave reviews people. Let me know how you feel about the stories.
> 
> Thank you for reading.


	9. A/N 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an important A/N. Please don't skip.

Due to health complications, I will not be able to update for long stretches. This period will probably last about 8-10 months. Maybe even more. That does not mean I have given up on the story. Or that I won't update at all. But there will be long dry spells. 1, maybe even 2 months without updates. But I will complete the story. That's a promise I can and will keep.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate it. And to those who will stick with me through the "dry" and well... bad months, I have a lot of respect and love for you guys. Thanks again for your support and your love.


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